Tag: E-waste

Battery and e-waste clear-out plea as only half return for safe recycling

Only half of household batteries sold on the Irish market are making their way back for recycling each year, new data shows.

As newly-bought Christmas gifts replace old devices, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland is urging people to recycle used batteries and unwanted small electrical items, rather than storing or binning them.

Its figures show that almost half of all household battery purchases are made during the Christmas shopping period, yet recycling rates remain stubbornly low.
To support a nationwide New Year clear-out, the e-waste recycling scheme is delivering one million blue battery recycling boxes to homes this month to capture the valuable hoard of waste batteries.

They can be returned for free at participating retailers or local recycling centres.

“As space is made for new gifts, now is the ideal time to carry out a battery and e-waste clear-out,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.

“As well as providing a handy QR code that connects you to a map of hundreds of local drop off points, our blue battery boxes are a simple but powerful reminder that batteries should never go in household bins.

“Returning for recycling ensures the safe recovery and reuse of the materials they contain.”

When it comes to small electronic items, 2024 figures from WEEE Ireland show a similar trend, with 40 per cent of Ireland’s annual small electronic gift and toy purchases happening in the festive period.

But just 30 per cent of these are returned to the circular economy for recycling.

Recycling rates for electronic toys such as gaming consoles, e-scooters and battery-operated action figures are even lower, dropping to just 10 per cent, leaving millions of unused, broken or obsolete toys gathering dust in homes or discarded incorrectly in the household bin.

“Every home in Ireland can make a difference. Batteries don’t belong in the bin – they belong in recycling. When we dispose of them incorrectly, we risk fires and environmental pollution,” said Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Alan Dillon.

“This January, WEEE Ireland is delivering one million battery boxes to households. Let’s use them. Collect every old battery from toys, decorations, and devices, and return them to your local retailer or recycling centre.
“It’s free, safe, and it protects our environment. Together, we can keep dangerous chemicals out of landfill and rare materials in circulation. Let’s make 2026 about responsibility and care for each other.”

WEEE Ireland’s network of free collection points across local authority civic amenity centres and retailers is available at weeeireland.ie.

A new Light Means of Transport (LMT) lithium battery guide has also been added to the WEEE Ireland website to support consumers on the safe recycling of higher-capacity batteries such as those used in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mobility and power packs.

Vodafone Ireland reports 76% year on year growth in device trade-ins

Vodafone Ireland, the leading communications partner to Irish consumers and businesses, today reported a sharp 76% increase in its device trade ins in June, compared to June 2024.

Publishing the data today, Vodafone Ireland reported a ‘record month’ with more customers than ever trading in their old devices and its ‘best week ever’ – one in three customers buying a new handset traded in their old device during the last week of June, demonstrating a growing shift toward responsible tech ownership and more sustainable choices.

Devices are traded in to be recycled, refurbished and reused, while the average trade-in value currently received by customers is €150* per transaction. As a responsible communications partner, the Trade In service is part of Vodafone Ireland’s commitment to sustainability and supporting consumers to make sustainable choices.

Driving Affordability 

The Trade-In service allows customers to release the residual value of their devices, which they can then use to reduce the price of a new device, gain store credit to purchase accessories, or opt for the price to come straight off their bill.

This service, pioneered by Vodafone Ireland – another Vodafone first – and launched in 2022, is available to consumers across Vodafone’s 80 retail stores nationwide, with all reporting strong uptake of the initiative. To date, Irish consumers have saved over €8 million through this e-waste service.

This initiative was established to address the increasing challenge of e-waste in Ireland. A recent study estimated that there are 7.3 million unused smartphones** in Irish households, demonstrating the opportunity for trade-in options to see these devices responsibly reused, recycled or repurposed rather than going to waste.

Trade-In  

Consumers can trade in their phones, tablets, iPads and smart watches while Vodafone Ireland also accepts devices for responsible recycling, including laptops.

The service offers an effective and tangible solution to Ireland’s e-waste challenge, with every device traded in first securely wiped of data, and then either refurbished for reuse or responsibly recycled — with 0% sent to landfill.

This circular approach prevents valuable materials from going to waste and reduces the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new devices. By making trade-ins simple and rewarding for Irish consumers, Vodafone Ireland is driving greater consumer participation in the shift towards sustainable and responsible tech ownership.

Earlier this month, Vodafone Ireland was named Best Mobile Operator for the 10th consecutive year by independent benchmarking organisation umlaut, achieving a record-breaking score. The recognition highlights Vodafone’s €500 million five-year investment in network and its role as the connectivity partner to 60% of Irish businesses.

Commenting today, Sabrina Casalta, CEO, Vodafone Ireland said:  

“Trade in plays a critical role in driving Vodafone Ireland’s commitment to protecting the planet, as well as offering affordability for our customers. With one in every three customers across our retail stores trading in a handset, we’re delivering on our ambition to tackle e-waste and supporting the circular economy in Ireland. These results are commendable and testament to the efforts of our team, our retail colleagues and also to our customers throughout the country who are taking action.  

‘We’ve invested heavily in this campaign since 2022 because we saw an opportunity to make a difference. We encourage Irish consumers to maintain this momentum and continue to support us in tackling e-waste through trading in their device for repair, recycle or repurposing. This is a tangible method to deliver change and make a difference for generations to come.” 

Over 2,000 people work with Vodafone in Ireland across its Dublin HQ and 80 retail units across the country while the company has more than 2.3 million customers and growing.

Shape e-Waste into Sustainable Tech Solutions this Earth Day and Beyond

In today’s world, electronic devices are essential, improving our lives and connecting us like never before. While this digital evolution has brought about incredible advancements and conveniences, it also presents the challenge of managing electronic waste (e-waste) generated by digital lives.  By Alex Rice, Field Product Manager at Dell Technologies

Today, as we mark Earth Day, we’re once again reminded of the urgency that technological innovation and the need to protect the planet must go hand-in-hand by embracing sustainable solutions and responsible recycling. we can enjoy the benefits of technology while safeguarding the environment for future generations.

The European Union, a global leader in environmental policy, finds itself grappling with the issue of e-waste. According to the UN, e-waste volumes are growing five times faster than e-waste recycling, with an 82% jump since 2010.

The European Commission’s circular economy action plan offers a glimmer of hope with its promotion of repair and reuse initiatives. However, businesses in Ireland that are expected to be part of the solution are often caught between regulatory pressures, financial constraints, and evolving consumer demands.

For Irish business decision makers often the question is how can we reconcile the pressing need to innovate and remain competitive while being environmentally responsible?

Thankfully, the answer is not about choosing one or the other. Instead, it lies in reimagining our relationship with technology and embracing an end-to-end approach to sustainability: where resources are valued, products are designed with sustainable materials and waste is minimised.

 

1. Smarter product design to promote circularity

Product design plays a significant role in reducing waste and thinking about how to reduce production costs in the long-term. A sustainable approach begins with creating guidelines for how components are designed before they go on to form complete systems.

Product design dictates how practical it is to reuse and refurbish these components or to harvest recyclable materials at the end of a device’s life. Designing with durability and modularity in mind means that parts can come back through a services network before re-entering the supply chain, to be used to repair and refurbish systems. For customers and consumers, there is the added benefit of being able to purchase these products at a lower price point.

For components that cannot be easily reused, manufacturers should focus on easy disassembly paired with clear markings, minimised paintings and coatings and simplified material choice. This makes it easier for the recycling industry to recover more material, more quickly.

2. Design with circularity in mind

Information technology is heavily dependent on finite raw materials, including minerals like lithium or cobalt, which are associated with high energy, water consumption and environmental damage during extraction.

For example, at Dell, we design our products for easy repair, reuse, and recycling at end-of-life to keep products and materials in circulation for longer to help reduce pressure on resources and prevent waste. We use recycled and/or renewable materials from innovative sources to help lower the environmental impact of our products and packaging. Every pound of steel, aluminium, plastic and copper that we recover is a pound of material that doesn’t have to be extracted from the ground.

Demand for alternatives is increasing, particularly as they do not deplete additional natural resources and emit fewer greenhouse gases in their production and during the product life cycle. For example, low emissions aluminium and recycled cobalt are being used in our AI PCs. Another alternative material is a bioplastic derived from the production of paper, which is used as new component for technology casings.

One of the most immediate initiatives is for the IT design process to operate as a closed loop model, which keeps products and materials in circulation as long as possible.

3. Harnessing AI for sustainable innovation

AI presents a transformative opportunity to help Irish businesses meet broader sustainability objectives. AI can help solve complex environmental issues but it’s crucial to balance this with ensuring that the AI model and infrastructure itself has strong sustainability credentials. However, six in 10 customers think AI will compromise their environmental sustainability efforts, and many customers are not sure where to focus.

The opportunity for leveraging AI as a tool lies in its ability to identify issues more efficiently around sustainability, meaning they can be addressed more promptly. By analysing vast amounts of data from various sources, AI can identify fixes quickly than alternatives. The insights derived are useful for informing strategies that reduce waste across everything from the supply chain itself, through to manufacturing and packaging optimisation.

Reducing energy consumption and e-waste within AI requires a multi-faceted approach, including embracing energy-efficient hardware like low-power processors and accelerators which can significantly shrink carbon footprints. For example, our sustainable data centre solutions like storage and servers built with leading liquid and air cooling, emissions tracking and energy efficiency top being top of mind. Therefore, consideration about the modular design and upgradeability of AI hardware can minimise the e-waste coming out of the infrastructure needed to power the models.

4. A holistic end-to-end approach

Because sustainability is now a business imperative, businesses here in Ireland should embed it through every stage of business operations. Responsible practices should be integrated into every facet of the organisation, extending outwards to suppliers, partners, and customers. Having clear, internal, and external alignment on these goals makes it easier to drive more sustainable materials innovation, pioneer new energy solutions and navigate changing regulatory landscapes.

Cross-functional collaboration is key to empowering change within the whole ecosystem; for instance, if it becomes a requirement that products need to be designed with materials innovation at heart, then suppliers are challenged to innovate to meet those specific demands.

Take action this Earth Day The digital revolution has reshaped our world and created new economic opportunities; it’s the environmental impact that can’t be ignored; nor can it continue in the same way.

The escalating e-waste crisis calls for a shift in the way we approach building and designing new technologies.

As we mark Earth Day 2025, it’s time to embrace circularity, resource efficiency and employ longer-term thinking when it comes to technological innovation. By exploring new ways of thinking, businesses can begin shaping a digital future that strives to grow in balance with the environment, creating opportunities for both progress and sustainability.

Swappie – More than 60% of Irish consumers Unaware about the Growing Impact of E-waste

As the world celebrated Earth Day, Swappie, Europe’s largest iPhone refurbisher, has unveiled a dire need to educate people about the impact of e-waste. This alarm bell comes as a study by the United Nations reveals that a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010; on track to rise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030.

Swappie did a pan-Europe community survey to gauge people’s knowledge and awareness about sustainable habits, carbon footprint and the impact of e-waste on the planet. The result was a startling and urgent need for more awareness across all age groups shedding light on widespread ignorance regarding e-waste and its consequences.

Globally, the annual generation of e-waste is rising by 2.6 million tonnes while the documented recycling rate has dropped from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% in 2030 – as recycling efforts fail to match pace with the monumental growth of e-waste generation worldwide.

The key highlights from the survey are as follows:

Awareness Gap:
A staggering 62.7% of Irish respondents were unaware of the projected 82 million metric ton increase in e-waste by 2030, equivalent to discarding 1,000 laptops every second.

Personal Impact on E-Waste:
Around 25% of global respondents correctly estimated their annual e-waste production.

Knowledge of iPhone Carbon Emissions:
22.7% correctly identified that it emits approximately 82 kg of CO2 in its first year of life.

Concern for the Environment:
Despite the lack of e-waste awareness, the majority of Irish respondents expressed significant concern about their carbon footprint and environmental impact.
61.6% rated their concern as 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5, indicating high levels of worry about their personal environmental footprint.

Sounding the alarm, Luísa Vasconcelos e Sousa, Country Manager for Ireland at Swappie said: “These survey findings underscore the critical importance of raising awareness about e-waste and its detrimental effects on our planet. It is evident that there is a strong desire among consumers to make more informed choices to mitigate their impact on the environment – but the buck doesn’t stop here. We, at Swappie, pledge to inform more and more people about e-waste and how every person can contribute in making the world a better place.”

Swappie remains committed to environmental education and sustainability, aiming to empower individuals with knowledge to combat e-waste and reduce carbon emissions. As part of its Earth Day initiatives, Swappie will be launching educational campaigns and resources to help individuals better understand and address the challenges posed by e-waste.