Reusing or Recycling Toys

 Summer Toy Recycling 

Toys help create an imaginative world of play, they can help build social skills and ease demands on parents!  Sometimes the most expensive toy are not the best option as kids enjoy playing with items from their home. They can build props like a play house or space rocket out of a reused cardboard boxes and tubes, creating their own special world.

Most homes with kids do have lots of toys. Storage containers are filled to the brim with, dolls, action figures, building blocks, cars, remote-controlled flying machines, games devices,  and many other items. Our questions is, what do parents and children do with the old favorites when the new games arrive?

Games Console – Electronic Toys

Involve Children

Kid toys are exactly that, kids toys so its wise to keep children involved in any decisions regarding the future of their toys. Parents can be helpful by reinforcing the fact that their once loved yet unwanted items will be reused by kids with a greater need and the fact that the environment benefits by keeping these items out of landfill or incinerators should be valued.

Toy Reuse 

When your kids have made the most of their old toys, they can always become a new favorite for another child or family. For toys and games that are in good condition, finding the toy a new home is the most eco-friendly thing is do.

Some ideas include

• Arrange a toy swap shop with families in the community.
• Car boot sale with proceeds offered to your local child support group.
• Donate the toy to a charity shop.
• Offer toys to a children’s hospital, children shelter, crèche or montessori.
• Include in your schools shoe box appeal for shipment to other countries across the world.
• Have a swap day with other kids on the road or in school.

Broken Toys and Games

Parent can always try to fixed toys by replacing broken or missing parts. Toy repair maybe possible, with toy makers such as Mattel, Fisher-Price and Lego replacing or selling you replacement pieces. There are also services that can repair broken toys, such as the Doll’s Hospital and Teddy Bear Clinic in Dublin. Some toys, like board games or toys with lots of small parts, might be re-purposed for arts and crafts use. You can also use various bits and bobs from toys to create mosaics, jewellery or pictures and get the kids involved.

Plastic Toys

Plastic toys that are broken or missing parts might be able to be recycled, depending on what type of plastic they’re made from. If the plastic number is not indicated on the toy or the packaging (if you even still have the packaging), you might be able to contact the manufacturer to find out what it’s made from, and then check with your local authority to make sure that your local recycling centre accepts that type of plastic. Alternatively you might consider letting kids build their own creations from disused plastic toys.

Kids Toys – Electronic Toys

Electronic Toys

Toys with computer chips, computer screens, lights, noise, plugs, batteries or other electronic components can and should be recycled. They should not be added to the domestic waste. We know from experience this is not the case as very few electrical toys make their way to us for recycling. Recycle IT offer a collection and drop off services and will accept electrical and electronic toys including games consoles, cameras, tablets, remote control cars or planes, dolls, action figures, watches or replica phones. The list is endless but any toy with a plug or battery is acceptable for recycling.

Finally… 

Recycling and repurposing is environmentally responsible. You should involve your children. You can make sure your children understand the concept of recycling and the value old or broken toys have for others. Reused toys can bring joy to a child or recycling can help create a job!

Kids Electronic Piano

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

If  you need more information you can call Recycle IT a call on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

James 7 – TheWaste Triangle

Waste-Waste-Waste

My son is now in first class. He came home from school a few weeks ago and spoke to me about his day.  He had learned about all the waste human’s create and how the waste triangle was going to be topic of the week. He had learned that putting rubbish in the ground is not a good idea or the answer for the waste created in school, at home or in his other favour places.  Since our chat there has been an extra focus on reducing, re-using and recycling as much as we can. Even his 5 year old sister is taking an interest!

The triangle, James aged 7 referred to  is”The Waste Management Hierarchy” You will find it pictured below and we all should take an interest.

The Waste Management Hierarchy

The hierarchy priorities waste management options in terms of environmental impact and is the guiding principle for waste management in Ireland and across the European Union, thus ensuring that preventing, reducing and recycling waste is the priority. This model aims to see as much waste as possible managed at the higher levels of the hierarchy starting with prevent.

Since all waste tends to have some impact on the environment, the only way to avoid the impact is – Don’t produce the waste in the first place. It is really a case of ‘Think before you act!

Waste prevention is at the top of the Waste Management Hierarchy but is the hardest to implement. This really takes time and effort to get up and running but it’s time well spent and really does pay for itself.

Prevention is followed by reduction, re-use and recycling. Composting and generating energy from waste are next in the hierarchy, while disposal to landfill is at the very bottom of the hierarchy. Landfill is an out of sight, out of mind, solution and not the way to solve our waste challenges.

We know lots of good work is ongoing everyday but still millions of tons the waste generated in across Ireland and Europe goes to landfill or for incineration each year. This suggests that current EU legislation and incentives are not moving waste up the hierarchy fast enough and for this reason the waste directives will be revised over the coming period.

 Way to encourage reuse of resources and reduced wasting include:

• Offer incentives to large employers, government departments and big business to implement sustainable purchasing policies that support local social and environmental objectives.
• Ensure incentives are in place for reuse (circular economy) of materials and disincentives in place for wasting materials.
• Create and monitor waste policies, develop proper research funds and drive regulation of customers and the industry.
• Set up systems which encourage local communities and economies to support recovery and reuse e.g. Tidy towns.
• Reuse old materials in make new products e.g. computers

The Proximity Principle demonstrates the need and value of waste disposal and treatment of wastes in reasonable proximity to their point of generation. The principle works to minimise the environmental impact and the cost of waste transport. This is a model Recycle IT embrace.

Reuse is the ideal and suggestion include

• Reuse products over and over.
• Repurpose products for alternative uses.
• Repair to retain value and usefulness.
• Refurbish for reuse.
• Re-manufacture with disassembled parts.
• Dismantle to obtain parts for repairing.
• Support charity shops,
• Encourage or allow licensed recovery of reusable goods from waste disposal sites.

This is one of many article written and published to the web which promotes the waste triangle (as named by James aged 7).

We know it is the right thing to do until we find a better way forward!

The Waste Management Hierarchy can help us all to protect our environment increrase local economic activity (including jobs) and prevent further negative impacts to our surrounding.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Finalist Green Award 2017

To learn more about recycling electrical equipmment please call Recycle IT on 01 4578321 or email us

 

20 Tips to Save Bin Time

Less Waste – More Money – Reduce Stress

Less waste means less stress about disposing of stuff or recycling it later. Taking the lead, changing your habits, encouraging family and co-workers to do the same will make a difference so please try it Questioning the need for new stuff is part of the key to success!

There’s lots of ways to reduce waste, save time and  spend less money all of which helps our environment so let’s start today. Get your kids, familiy, friends and colleagues engaged by sharing the 20 tips listed.

Recycle IT have listed 20 tips to avoid creating waste.

Steps include

1. Rese papar and plastic shoppng bags for both grocery or clothes shopping
2. Use a shopping basket instead of a trolley.
3. Do not buy over packaged products. e.g fruit or meat.
4. Leave excess packaging at the store or shop – they might get the idea!
5. Think about whether you need an item before you buy it.
6. Go paperless – stop printing, e.g. buy an online newspaper subscription.
7. Print on both side of the page or not at all.
8. Reject junk mail – place a sign on your post box.
9. Give away or sell what you don’t need.
10. Purchase used products from the web, car boot sales or classified ads.
11. Make the decision to reuse e.g. books, clothes, shoes
12. Buy less food – purchase what you need not what you want!
13. Compost and mulch your garden greens for reuse.
14. Borrow, lend, rent, and share equipment including toys, and tools.
15. Maintain and repair instead of replacing.
16. Buy for a long life or durability
17. Be mindful of buying into trends or fads – they are short lived.
18. Use long life light bulbs.
19. Use recyclable, repairable, refillable,  re usable, or biodegradable products
20. Bring food to school,  on picnic’s or work in reusable containers

Waste Not – Want Not

Some facts about waste in Ireland?

• The total amount of waste generated in the state (industrial, commercial, household) at the last full survey was 19.8 Million tonnes which is equivalent to 4.3 tonnes per person
• The economic downturn has had a marked influence on municipal waste generation. It has decreased by 17% since it peaked in 2007
• Household waste generated per person in Ireland in 2011 amounted to 367kg which is considerably less than the EU average of 438kg
• One third of the food we buy ends up in the bin. This can cost the average household up to €1,000 per year
• Ireland is among the top performing EU countries in terms of municipal waste recycling

Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Finalist Green Award 2017

To learn more about recycling electrical equipmment please call Recycle IT on 01 4578321 or email us

Social Enterprise in Ireland

Social Enterprise

The Social Enterprise sector in Ireland offers approx. 25,000 – 35,000 jobs, about €1.4 billion in economic activity and addresses numerous challenges face by Irish society.

A 2012 report from Forfas defines social enterprise in Ireland as “an enterprise that trades for a social/societal purpose, where at least part of its income is earned from its trading activity, is separate from government, and where the surplus is primarily reinvested in the social objective.”

Recycle IT – A Social Enterprise

The report also lists the four categories under which social enterprises trade

• commercial opportunities that are established to create a social return;
• employment opportunities for marginalized groups;
• economic and community development organisations;
• services delivery organisation

From experience, it can be said that these four categories almost always overlap and are shared objectives for many social enterprises.

The Social Enterprise Sector

There are an estimated 1400 Social Enterprises operating in communities all over Ireland. These include services such meal on wheels, youth cafés, care organisations, creches, credit unions, leisure centres, community centres and a whole array of other businesses.  They offer essential services and tackle problems in society such as food poverty, housing or environmental issues.

In 2014 Forbes said “Ireland has a buoyant social enterprise sector, benefiting from a marked increase in calibre of social entrepreneurs, and growing numbers of them.

Forbes also suggested social enterprises are contributing significantly to Ireland’s economic recovery, especially in job creation” It seems once Ireland formalize the sector and introduce a national policy there will be an opportunity to grow jobs in the sector and deliver further services in community in rural and urban areas.

Recycle IT – Open for Computer Recycling and much more…

How is the Irish Social Enterprise Sector Viewed!

In 2016, the tops 10 countries in the world for social enterprise were recorded as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, Israel, Chile, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and France. Ireland currently ranks in second last place in the list according to research by the Thompson Reuters Foundation (2016)

The criteria used to determine if there is a favorable environment for social enterprise include

1. Conditions are favorable for social entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses
2. Government policy supports social entrepreneurs
3. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to get grant funding
4. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to access investment (debt and/or equity)
5. Social entrepreneurs can access the non-financial support they need (e.g. financial, legal and technical advice; access to markets and networks; coaching, mentoring and training)
6. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to government
7. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to business
8. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to the public
9. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to attract staff with the required skills
10. The public understands what social entrepreneurs do
11. Social entrepreneurs can make a living from their work in my country
12. Social entrepreneurship is gaining momentum

The fact that Ireland is ranked 42^nd out of 44 nations across the world suggests that social enterprise ideas and organisations faces challenges right from initial startup.

The Future

In early 2017, it was announced that regional economic development minister Michael Ring TD was to bring forward a Irish national policy for social enterprise some four years after a Forfas report recommended such an action.  This long-awaited policy can help Ireland create a well-defined social enterprise sector.

Once the sector has a formal and defined status there is potential to access funding for good ideas and combined with strong leadership these ideas can grow and develop to service the needs of many local communities, individuals and groups.

Potential funding sources include the European Fund for Strategic Investment, a variety of grants as well income from government tenders and business contracts for the delivery of services.

Social Enterprise at Work

Recycle IT operate an electrical recycling business in the social economy sector with the aims of creating social, economic and environmental value. Our team provide recycling services for communities and the market. Any profits generated are used to support social objectives which include a range of community focused services.

Profit are not shared with company directors and the organisation has no commercial stakeholders. Our board is voluntary and any profits are reinvested in recycling operations. Recycle IT is a not for profit Social Enterprise.

Recycle IT – Eco Friendly Business – Dublin

Our awarding winning recycling service is friendly, effective, yet not glamorous. Work is hard but offers the real opportunity for training and skills development. Team work helps supports our goals and everyone involved “works to do good” while simultaneously helping to ensure financial sustainability. There is a focused approach to identifying and managing revenue streams which support the company cover operationing costs and reinvest for the future.

Finally

Social enterprise success generally means more social and/or environmental good with profits reinvested to deliver change.

Usually social enterprises have more inclusive and diverse structures with women and men coming for a wide range of background to help start-up, develop and lead organisations. Social enterprises work on a range of challenges using the tools of business to advance ideas and deliver services. Social Enterprise are likely to be more innovate and experiment more than traditional business as they work to fill gaps in market that are of little interest to public sector bodies and profits are limited for the private sector companies. Finally, most work collaboratively and bring people on a journey of change.

Learn more:

If you would like to learn more about social enterprise you can book a place at Social Enterprise Symposium which will be held in Dublin on Friday 2^nd June 2017 starting at 11am.

Una Lavelle from Recycle IT  will join key-note speaker Dr. Jeffrey A. Robinson Ph. D. from Rutgers Business School and others in Tessa House Block D, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland – this event is free to attend.

Learn more about eight award-winning Social Enterprises operating in Dublin:

Third Space,

Aspire Productions,

House of Akina

The Yard @ Solas Project.

Recycle IT

Rothar.ie

Thriftify.ie

Walkinstown Green

Recycle IT – Finalist Green Award 2017

Its Summer Up-Cycling Time!

Up-cycled and Re-purposed drums for garden use

Have you ever wondered what Recycle IT do with the many washing machine drums we collect and receive in our recycling facility. Well after some research and some trial and error we found washing machine drums can be re-purposed or up-cycled into useful items for reuse at home, in the office or in a garden.

Summer Reuse with Schools

In this post we are looking at how recycled washing machine drums and tumble dryer drums can be used in outdoor spaces. Ideas include garden planters, fire pits retro barbecues and storage stools.

Above you with see children from a local primary school in Lucan, Co Dublin planting a reused tumble dryer drum with some help from the Recycle IT on Biological Diversity Day, 2017. This and other drums used on the day were extracted from tumble dryers which have been recycled by our teams. They are now in the school garden helping to encourage learning.

1. Garden Planters

Gardeners around the globe use various types of containers to enhance the look of their gardens. They add height, dimension, create more space and unique features. Garden planters bring ideas to life and can change the way you use your garden space. Washing machine drums are a great way to add a modern twist to you garden They can change the focus and help make your garden different to others. Recycled washing machine drums make great planters especially for growing dwarf fruit trees, The planters are deep and roomy and have drainage holes included.

Garden Planter – Recycle IT

2. Retro barbecue / outdoor heater

Your family, friends and neighbours are going to love this one. With its fire-resistant metal design, you can add charcoal briquettes to the washing machine drum, place a cooking rack over the centre opening and rediscover the satisfaction and affordability of outdoor cooking. As a bonus you can also take all the praise for coming up with this innovative idea. PS.. It can also be used as an outdoor heater.

Reused  BBQ

3. An outdoor stool with internal storage

This washing machine drum stool which can be mounted on casters and allows you enjoy your outdoor space. You don’t have to worry about metal rust or repainting wooden furniture. The perforated exterior of your washing machine’s drum offers an attractive modem feature which is weather proof. With the additional bonus of storage for kid’s toys or BBQ equipment this funky stool is something kids and adults will love.

Recycle IT – Reuse Stool made In house

We hope you found these ideas interesting and please keep us update on any new ideas or designs for reuse. If you want to save money and source a washing machine drums as a cheaper alternative  please give us a call on 01 4578321 or send us an email

Drums are perforated and remember all metal will get hot when heat is applied so take care.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Last year Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – 19 Office Waste Reduction Tips

Green Office – Home Office – Any Office

Office waste is any waste generated within any office space. It can consists of electrical, electronic, cardboard, paper and packaging waste, all of which can be recycled. Mixed waste may also turn up in your office. Items like glass or plastic bottles, plastic cups, coffee cups and sandwiches wrappers. These items can all be segregated and recycled in in offices or all sizes including home offices.

The benefits of introducing a reduce, reuse and recycling programme in your office include.

• Savings on waste disposal costs.
• Boost to staff morale by having a focus on reduce, reuse and recycling.
• Demonstrates the organisations commitment to the environment.
• Enhanced public perception of your organisation as a green organisation.

Below you will find some green tips that can be easily implemented and integrated into the day-to-day running of your office and office building.

19 Tip on How to Reduce Office Waste

1. To reduce the amount of paper accumulated in the office, only print the amount needed and limit the distribution of copies to only those that really need it.
2. Computer printouts should be limited. E-mail or instant messages can be sent to save on paper and time.
3. Data and reports can be stored or presented from memory sticks or the cloud, to save paper
4. Single spacing can be used as a format when printing reports.
5. Photocopy and print double-sided.
6. Before printing multiple copies, print a single copy. Check this copy for errors. Use the spell check and other facilities on your computer, laptop or tablet.
7. Draft documents should be reviewed on-screen before printing.
8. Drafts and other internal documents can be printed on paper that has been used on one side.
9. Scrap paper can be used to make note pads to take phone messages.
10. Printing and photocopying should be carried out only when it is necessary.
11. Have a centralised office filing system. This reduces the need for multiple files reducing paper use.
12. Electrical and electronic office equipment including computers should only be purchased as needed. This is to cut down on excess equipment sitting in the store, going out of date.
13. Regularly service office equipment, particularly computers, photocopiers and printers, to prolong their lifespan.
14. When equipment reaches its end of life use a registered and licensed electrical and electronic recycler to ensure equipment is safely made ready for reuse and recycling.
15. Employees should regularly empty out their desk and return any unwanted office supplies to the stationery cupboard.
16. Free or online newspaper subscription can reduce the amount of paper to be recycled.
17. Cancel any unwanted magazine or newspaper subscriptions to avoid unwanted waste accumulating.
18. Office announcements can be posted online, sent via email or posted once in a centralised monitor or TV screen.
19. All employees should be encouraged to move to a paperless office – Develop a plan!

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Last year Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

 

Recycle IT Winner of a Pakman Awards 2016

Recycling Computers – 9 Reasons

A World of Computers 

Every day is a recycling day for our team. It’s our passion and its the reasons we share regular news, updates and information related to recycling.

For this post we have focused on recycling computer or IT equipment. As we all know there are tons pf old PC’s and laptops in homes, offices and businesses which are of not further use but they could be recycled for reuse.

We also know computer owners and pc users are sometimes reluctant to hand old equipment over for recycling.  We hope you can take a few minutes to read and maybe rethink!

International Recycling Day with Recycle IT

Computing Statistics

According to Gartner Dataquest’s statistics, in April 2002 the billionth personal computers was shipped. The second billion mark was supposedly reached in 2007. But how many computers are in use? According to a report by Forrester Research, there were over one billion PCs in use worldwide by the end of 2008. With changing computer trends and emerging markets growing fast, its s estimated that there are over two billion computer type devices in use today.

Computer Recycling

Continuous updates in technology are hard to keep up with. Every 12 – 18 months’ new models of computers, laptops, tablets and even phones are introduced. This in turn make older models obsolete, and since they cannot be thrown in the bin, reuse or recycling becomes an option.

Computer recycling hopefully means giving old computers to a licensed waste facility where they are tested for reuse or disassembled into component parts. These components can be further broken down and reused as raw material for a new purpose.

Based on research conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world produced nearly 49 million metric tons of used electrical and electronic products last year. That’s an average of about 20 kg per person or t 8 average laptops for each of the 7 billion people in the world today.

With approximately 300 million new computers manufactured annually for sale, recycling old computers and computer components is really important and should be regarded as the norm!

Broken Down Computers Hard Drives – Recycle IT

9 Reasons to Recycle Your Old Computer

1. Recycling and Natural Resources

A lot of materials and parts can be recovered from the old electronics. These materials can be reused as raw materials to make new products, thus reducing the need and cost to mine new materials. (e.g. metals like copper and iron)  Did you know the metals recovered from a computer’s circuit board can be recycled to make new circuit boards for other electronics items like house alarms or monitors.

2. Recycling Computers and the Environment

Recycling is very eco-friendly, as it prevents hazardous waste like lead from entering our environment Many old computer contain harmful materials like lead and mercury, and if disposed of improperly, may harm humans, animals or the environment. Instead of dumping electronic equipment or storing items in the house or office why not recycle the items safely 

3. Computer Recycling and Local Employment

Considering that more than 90% of computer products are recyclable, recycling can play a part in creating employment. Social Enterprises such as Recycle IT recover electronic each day. The more we equipment collected and recycled the greater the opportunities for further employment. Recycling is labour intensive and employment can be boosted by recycling locally so support social enterprises like Recycle IT to create jobs!

4. Computer Reuse Supports the Community

As part of community responsibility, reuse of old computers and electrical equipment can helping support the development of community training opportunities. You can enable people to access a computer , learn about technology, build confidence and prepare for a bright future in their community by simple giving your older computer for reuse by community groups or community educational programmes.

5. Eco-Friendly Benefits

The amounts of WEEE being discarded grows daily. Over time, the waste accumulates to take up valuable space in homes, offices warehouses and even outdoors. If toxins leak they can infiltrate soil and water systems which can cause soil and water pollution. Recycling can help reserve these consequences and protect the environment from pollution.

6. Economic Benefits

Some newer computer equipment can be traded. This type of reuse helps the environment and your pocket. Many retail shops are offering trade-in options where you take back old electronic equipment and trade in to reduce the cost of the new equipment. Trading in means economic benefits for you,the consumer and helps shops and manufacturers close the loop on recycling.

7. Recycling Supports Reuse

Recycling helps in the recovery of materials used in the initial manufacturing process. Many parts of computer hardware are reusable, and recycling them prevents them from going to waste. When recycling is complete correctly, fewer resources and energy are needed to manufacture the same products again.

8. Recycling WEEE under Irish Legislation

To address increasing electrical and electronic waste steams the EU introduced the WEEE directive – 2002/96/EC.  Ireland implemented this legislation on time and approved two compliance schemes; WEEE Ireland and ERP Ireland.  The WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC from August 13^th, 2005, places the obligation upon all producers and distributors of waste electronic and electrical equipment to comply . We can all help with compliance by recycling. You can try one of the many retail take back schemes, your local bring centre or recycle with a community organisation.

9. Social Donation

Social responsibility sometime includes being able to donate to worthy causes. What you might consider an old computer maybe a value resource which can be passed to others including families and children who can’t afford to buy a new computer. Refurbishment of computers allows reuse by others including community groups or low-income families.

Recycle for Reuse

Instead of keeping dusty old computers at home or in the office please consider recycling them for component reuse. As you can see it is extremely beneficial to both the environment and community.

Remember they can be dropped off at no cost or you can avail of a free community collection service while we are in your area. Recycle IT can also offer a cost-effective personal or business collection if you decide or just needs to reduce clutter or create space.

Call our team on 01 4578321 or click here to email for further information.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Green NGO Finalist 2017 – Recycle IT

The World of WEEE

World Wide WEEE

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is a complex mixture of materials and components including hazardous elements and if not properly managed these materials and components can cause environmental and health problems. It’s really important to manage the collection, treatment and recycling of increasing quantities of older electronics at the end of their life.

As we all innovate and change, the world is producing ever more electrical and electronic waste. New products increase the quantity of dumped computers, telephones, televisions and appliances. This figure has doubled between 2009 and 2014, to 42 million tonnes per year globally (Source: nature.com).  A lot of this e-waste is then transport around the globe causing greater environmental concerns.

Ireland 

Some counties are doing a good job managing electrical and electronic waste and we hear in Recycle IT have to applaud Irish people as they are the best in Europe at recycling all types of duall purpose home and office electrical and electronic equipment. WEEE Ireland reported a total of 31,000 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste collected in 2015, or just over 9 KG per person.

The figures say that Irish people recycled 90,000 fridges and freezers, 600,000 large household appliances including washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers and dishwashers, 9 million mixed waste electrical and electronic equipment. Over 250,000 televisions and monitors were sent for recycling in the year with an overall total of 13 million waste electrical and electronic items recycled.

The report also shows that an equivalent to 28 million AA batteries and 3 million lamps were collected for recycling.

Recycling WEEE in Ireland

Recycle IT support and partner with WEEE Ireland in collection and drop off old and unused electrical and electronic equipment

Our collection teams works in Dublin and the surrounding working engaging with people in households, schools, community based organisation and business to recycle electrical goods.  Remember householders can drop items to recycling centres including Recycle IT for free. You can call 01 4578321 to learn more or visit our website.

WEEE Ireland has 900 member organisation which include multinational companies like Apple, Whirlpool, IBM, Philips, and indigenous Irish firms such as Dimpco, and Origo. They all support WEEE recycling in Ireland

In 2017 Recycle IT will focus on recycling small electrical and electronic waste items as today we only 25% of items purchase turn up for recycling.

Other areas of focus include toys, tools, small home appliances which today are either stored in homes or offices  or sent to the landfill in black bags or bins.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

10 Community Reuse or Recycling Organisations in Dublin

Life cycle….paint, computers, lights, dishwashers…

Ireland and Dublin in particular is home to a number of community reuse and waste prevention initiatives aimed at recovering and reusing valuable resources which have been acquired by customers to serve a need or first life use. When that first life use is served many office, household or leisure products can be reused and enjoyed by our follow consumers!

Recycled Paint for Reuse

Reuse is the practice of using an item more than once, extending its useful life. Often reuse involves a change of ownership; reuse can also involve “re-purposing,” or giving an item a second life through a function other than its original purpose. When we think about it, reuse is one of the oldest forms of waste management, and was practiced by previous generations. I remember as a child collecting and returning empty glass soft drink bottles to the shops in order to claim the deposit. Lots of people engaged in reuse or recycle long before waste became a business and disposal the norm

Disposable product culture

In the 20th century manufacturing, marketing and advertising practices helped drive a disposable product culture. Many products including cars, or electrical and electronic appliances now build-in technical, design and perceived obsolescence. After a year they lose the latest and greatest tag.

Computer Mouse – Recycle IT

Concerns about the environmental, economic and social sustainability of continually manufacturing new stuff,  has promoted a resurgence in reuse and re-purposing everyday items. Some citizens and nations have embraced this resurgences while others pay lip service to reuse.

It has to be said, reuse on its own is only one step, but once included as part of strategy, reuse can play its part in helping keep our world green.

Reuse v Recycling

Reuse, does not break items down to their component parts in order to reprocess them into new materials. While recycling reduces the amount of discarded items that are sent to landfills or incinerators, reuse extends the useful life of whole items and creates a local community loop that keeps the items out of the waste stream altogether. Reuse in all its forms needs to be considered with clothes and fabric a fine example of a successful income generating reuse model which supports charitable projects across the world.

Recycled Washing Machine Drums

There are a number of organisations in Ireland who can help with reuse for items including clothes, furniture, paint, mattress, home appliances or IT equipment.

List of organisations involved with reuse in Dublin, Ireland

Busy Bees – Furniture

The Upcycle Movement – Various

Irish Charity Shops Association – Clothes, Toys and Household Items

Sunflower Recycling – Paper, Cardboard and Cans

Rediscovery Centre –  Bikes, Fashion, Furniture and Paint

Recycle IT  – Computers, Tumble Dryers and Small Electrical Appliances

Rehab Recycling – Washing Machines

ReCreate Ireland – Arts and Crafts

Reusing Dublin – Unused and Underused Spaces

Eco Mattress –  Bed Mattress

It worth noting, a focus on reuse has many benefits including

• Reuse plays an important role in diverting waste from landfills and is the second step in the waste management hierarchy of “reduce, reuse, recycle.”
• Reusing materials saves money, energy, and natural resources therefore improving our environment and reducing the negative effects of climate change.
• Reuse has the potential for creating new markets for materials, new product and opportunities for training and employment.

Recycle IT encourage reuse and recycling and can help you with the collection of electrical and electronic equipment, anything with a plug or battery. Our Dublin based colleagues and members of the Community Reuse Network can also help so please do click on the links above to learn more.

For more information on electrical recycling and reuse call Recylce IT on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Recycle IT – Green Award – NGO of the Year Finalist 2017

 

Circular Economy: Know more

Circular Economy: Learn more

In 2014, the European Commission (EC) put forward an initial Circular Economy proposal to address the issue and help European businesses and consumers make the transition to a circular economy where waste is viewed as a ‘resource’ that can be recycled, re-used or remanufactured.

The plan will be backed by €5.5bn from the European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) and €650m from Horizon 2020 (the EU funding programme for research and innovation).

Circular Economy Tree

What is the status with EU waste policy today?

The 2008 Waste Framework Directive sets the overarching legislative framework for EU waste policy. The directive sets binding targets to be achieved by 2020: preparing for reuse and recycling of 50% of certain waste materials from households and similar sources, and preparing for reuse, recycling and other recovery of 70% of construction and demolition waste.

Meanwhile, the 1999 Landfill Directive bans landfilling of untreated waste. The directive sets a goal that the share of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfills may not be greater than 35% in 2016, compared to the baseline year of 1995.

The aims are to protect the environment and to safeguard the functioning of the internal market. It requires Member States to take measures to prevent packaging waste and to develop packaging reuse systems.

When will it happen?

The proposal is currently going through the EU legislative process. Before the Circular Economy proposal is passed into law, all three European institutions (the European Council, European Parliament and the European Commission) must have an agreed stance, which they will then take into a series of discussions.

Both European Parliament and Council of Ministers can amend the legislation but must agree upon the same text before the bills can become law. This means that a final proposal will likely not be established until the second half of 2017. Malta, currently hold the EU Presidency, hope to reach a deal with MEPs before 1 July, as its six-month Presidential term ends.

What does the change mean?

The targets listed under the Circular Economy proposal will be implemented by national governments across the EU Member States (including Ireland) and are targeted at the waste performance of households and businesses.

What are the targets listed under the proposal?

The original Circular Economy proposal intended to increase recycling levels and tighten rules on incineration and landfill. It consists of six individual bills on waste, packaging, landfill, end-of-life vehicles, batteries and accumulators, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Evolving Circular Economy –

The re-tabled proposal, unveiled in December 2015, included eco-design rules for products to make them easier to recycle. But it also had lower 2030 targets for recycling municipal and packaging waste, and replaced a 2025 aspirational landfill reduction target of 25% with a mandatory 10% goal for 2030.

This target was recently rejected as” watered-down” ambitions. A vote has advocated to reinstate the 70% target for municipal waste recycling, strengthening current proposals by 5%.

Meanwhile, a 2030 target for packaging recycling was voted to be 80% – higher than the 75% previously backed by the Commission. And the waste-to-landfill target has been restricted to 5%, replacing a mandatory target of 10% by 2030. MEPs have also voted for a European Union (EU) food waste reduction target of 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030, compared to 2014.

The proposal includes a series of additional measures and targets, including:

• The promotion of economic incentives to discourage landfilling;
• A ban on landfilling of separately collected waste;
• Simplified and improved definitions and harmonized calculation methods for recycling rates throughout the EU;
• Define measures to promote re-use and stimulate industrial symbiosis – turning one industry’s by-product into another industry’s raw material;
• Economic incentives for producers to put greener products on the market and support recovery and recycling schemes (e.g. for packaging, batteries, electric and electronic equipment, vehicles).
• Four legislative proposals (included) are legal acts: Waste Framework Directive; Landfilling Directive; Packaging Waste Directive; Directives on end-of-life vehicles, on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators, and on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT supported drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

To learn more about Recycle IT or to book a collection or drop off please call 01 4578321 or email us here.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Local Communities lead National Spring Clean

Community Spring Clean

National Spring Clean is Ireland’s most popular, well recognized and successful anti-litter and waste initiative. It takes place during April each year.  The campaign encourages all sector of society to actively participate and take responsibility for litter and waste.

National Spring Clean has been operated by An Taisce since 1999 in partnership with the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government and Local Authorities and is sponsored by the Wrigley Company Ltd. and Repak Ltd. The size and scale of National Spring Clean has grown steadily and significantly over the years and has many benefits for people taking part

Litter Disposal

Local area cleanups are usually organised by resident associations and tidy town groups and can also involved others some of which include:

• Local Organisations e.g. Recycle IT or Recycling Centres
• Local Authorities e.g. South Dublin County Council
• Schools, Community Colleges, Universities and Environmental Groups.
• Youth Groups e,g, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides or Foróige
• Community Service Initiative e.g. Tus.
• General Public.

With April 2016 fast approaching Recycle IT have assembled some tips for organising a successful National Spring Clean event in your area!

Time

• You will need time to organise your event. Start planning at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Spring is the best time to do a cleanup – before grass and weeds have a chance to hide rubbish and litter and make retrieval more difficult.
• When you select a day or weekend for the cleanup, check with local community organisations and the local authority in your area to avoid any event conflicts.
• Arrange for collection and disposal of the waste collected.

Spring Clean and Recycle IT

Planning

• A good plan will help your group set a direction and document the steps you need to take to organise the spring cleanup. Using an existing neighborhood cleanup committee or forming a new group is a great way to get things done efficiently and build ownership at the same time.
• Use a Clean Up notebook to record names, numbers emails, dates and other important information. Its good to document everything and maintain a cleanup file including photos. This can be used for  grant applications and PR.
• Determine your “cleanup area” to get an idea of the support you will need. Use a map to coordinate teams and pickup routes. Records litter black spots and any situations needing special tools or equipment to get the job done.
• Estimate of the number of volunteers, assign tasks and a develop a schedule.

Team Building

• Remember letters work well, but personal contact is the best way to build your team and secure the needed resources for the job. If you do not know your neighbors, now is a good time to meet them. Introduce yourself and tell them what you would like to do. Do not ask for a commitment — that will come later — just get a feel for the support you have.
• There may be groups within your community that regularly organize community projects. Consider partnering with these or other groups, even if they are not in your area.
• Businesses, and you local authority take pride in their communities. Ask them to help with this community effort by donating items or funding to support the event.
• Have an event photographer so you have photos for newsletter articles, annual reports, Web page projects, promotional flyers, etc.

Clean Up & Recycle IT

Promotion

• Consider creating a promotional flyer to distribute at local business and organisations.
• Specify what will be or will not be accepted; provide options for those items.
• Inform residents about the pickup times. Specify the cleanup will occur regardless of the weather. 
• Include your event parish local authority and community newsletters, on websites, local community radio and newspapers. Invite the media to do a story on your cleanup — this is recognition of volunteers, donors or sponsors.

Implementation

Before you start, gather everyone together to review the event and answer questions. Have a cleanup plan with a start and finish point in an estate or street with groups starting at both ends and working towards the middle. Spread volunteers out so they have plenty to do while having fun.

Coordinator duties

• Register interested parties.
• Ensure everyone is aware of safety requirements and areas to avoid.
• Make sure children are safe and supervised by adults.
• Answer questions on collection and removal.
• Have brochures and coupons available on how to dispose of items you cannot accept (WEEE, batteries, hazardous waste, tires, oil, etc.).
• Make sure plenty of water, mobile phones and a first aid kit on-site.
• Keep details for emergency service at hand.
• Keep a positive attitude. don’t get overwhelmed and avoid overwork – you can do more another day!

Some of the typical cleanup needs include:

• Volunteers
• Bin bags
• Safety signs and general safety
• Gloves/heavy-duty
• Buckets for sharp objects
• Tools (ropes, rakes, shovels, etc.)
• Trees/wildflower/grass seeds
• Hi-Vis Safety Vests
• First Aid Kit
• List of mobile phone numbers
• After clean up event e.g. BBQ or picnic

WEEE To Work – Recycle IT

Say Thanks

Take every opportunity to mention the support of your volunteers, especially when talking to the media. You should write thank you letters to key community groups and local businesses/donors. Provide copies of photos for their archives.

Finally…

Record what worked well and what didn’t. This means you do not have to reinvent the wheel this time next year! This information will be important for new and future members of the cleanup group.

If you would like to include a community electrical and electronic recycling collection as part of your local spring clean please call Recycle IT on 01 4578321 or email info@recylceit.ie. Recycle IT work with WEEE Ireland to support community recycling.

Recycle IT – 2017 Green Award Finalist 

Moving Tips – Reduce Stress – Recycle!

Moving House, Home or Apartment or Workplace

Is moving home one of life’s most stressful events?  During 2015 E. ON the energy company provided an answer to this questions. They surveyed 2000 people who had moved home in the previous three years. The research revealed 61% of those surveyed placed the ordeal at the top of their stress list, so it’s true, moving is stressful.

Packing Boxes – Moving home

Stress Points

Some of  that stress might be caused by the fact that removal firms unusually work out the cost for your move by the volume of items that you have to transport to your new home.

Reducing your volume prior to the move should save you money and creates an opportunity to de-clutter  through reuse or recycling. In fact, it creates a wonderful opportunity to list and remove items that are broken or unneeded. It’s an excellent motivator to share unwanted items with others or recycle items no longer required .

It’s a good idea to start with storage areas such as the spare rooms, the attic, basement, garage or store in the weeks before your move, as removal teams will want to do a pre-move checklist of your belongings. This helps determine how much stuff needs to be moved and gives an idea of wants involved in moving!

Moving Checklist.

What to Recycle

People are still surprised by the number of objects that can be recycled. Recycling goes way beyond glass, plastic, paper and tins that your waste company collects. Commonly recycled items include furniture, clothing, electrical goods, batteries, bulbs, or old toys. home-office equipment, metal cabinets or lockers.  These can all be recycled prior to moving.

Recycled appliances like phones, kettles, cables, dryers, computer, servers or washing machine’s can be repurposed or their components can be removed and converted into new products.

Recycling allows home movers to clear out old items and reduce the cost of the removal, protect our environment and conserve natural resources. Remember this logic can be applied to moving from any location including an office, warehouse, doctors surgery or shop.

10 Moving Tip

1. In the weeks and days leading up to your move, use up perishables including food and cleaning products and recycle plastic containers  before your moving date.
2. All electronics and electrical equipment (e.g. computers, toasters, heaters or kettles) contain some precious metallic elements like gold, silver, copper and aluminum that can be reused. Recycling these items saves valuable new resources.
3. Petrol, paint and oils should be disposed of before moving home. Many removal companies will not move your petrol lawnmower if it is not emptied of all petrol and oil and paint are heavy and will cost you money to move.
4. Fuel such as coal or oil should be included in the lease or sale or used well in advance of moving.
5. Kids toys, clothes or bikes can be offered to charity shops, social enterprises, family shelters or housing projects. If damaged they be recycled at a civic amenity recycling centres. Some recycling centres take a range of items manufactured from plastics, metals and wood.
6. Following your move, you have lots of packing boxes. The boxes may be supplied by moving company so they can be given back. If not the boxes are most likely to be made from recyclable materials, so should be able to be added to your paper recycling bin. If you have a large number that will not fit, they can be taken to your nearest civic amenity site.
7. Take pictures of wire connections on electronic equipment such as computers, printer and wireless router as it will help you set them up at your new home.
8. Label boxes by room and number them to ensure you have them all on arrival at your house.
9. Make sure you have lots of help at hand to pack and lift boxes and equipment.
10. Finally, there may be items that you wish to dispose but it may not be easy to find a recycler! Here are 10 community based organisations who can help to reduce your belongings before your  move.

Recycle IT – Before moving it.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered recycling collection and drop off services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of old electrical and electronic items including over lot of old monitors, computers and TV’s.

Recycle IT also work with communities across Dublin to support reuse.  Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland.  We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority.

 

To learn more about Recycle IT,  email us,  call 01 4578321. or visit our website at www.recycleit.ie

Recycle IT are Recognised as Age Friendly

How WEEE Works – Schools learn more!

WEEE Workshops for Schools

Recycle IT works to recycle a range of electronic and electrical equipment daily. You never know what will come through the facility next, anything from battery operated toys to a school printer or treadmill from a home. The most common appliances received include TV’s dishwashers and washing machines. We get them for collection or drops off each week.

As part of our work with schools we have developed a demonstration workshop called “How WEEE Works. The workshop demonstrates how to reduce , recover, reuse and recycle electrical appliances which have come to the end of their life.

Washing Machine – Schools – How WEEE Works – Recycle IT

How Washing Machines Work

Firstly, the drums are magic, they can and have been reused for many different purposes including patio heater, foot stools, storage units, light shades and garden planters.  Overtime we discovered that there where many other cool parts that could reused again for other projects.

Some of  the usual parts found in a washing machine include

• Water inlet control valve:
• Water pump:
• Inner drum:
• External drum:
• Agitator / rotating disk:
• Motor:
• Timer:
• Printed circuit board (PCB): T
• Drain pipe:
• Plug:
• Block:

How do you think these parts might be reused or recycled? Well we have lots interesting facts which we presented and share as part of interactive style workshop. It is ideal for school children aged 8 – 10 and especially children with lots of questions.

The workshop can be presented during the school year and we’ll even bring, Wally the Washing Machine as guest of honor! Kids get to see and touch parts and discuss alternative uses for them. If you school is interested in this free and educational session please call us on 01 4578321. Due to limited resources,  How WEEE Works is only available in the Dublin area at present.

First to take part

Picture below you will see a How WEEE Works Demonstration Workshop at Scoil Aonghusa Senior, Balrothery, Tallaght,  Dublin 24. This workshop was completed as part of Eco Week 2016 and was arranged in association with South Dublin County Council. We want to say a big thanks to students for getting ready involved.

How WEEE Works @ Scoil Aonghusa Senior, Dublin 24

We plan to offer this workshop to a small number of schools based in south Dublin. It’s a great way for us to learn more and for kids to hear and see how people can reused, recover and recycle  everyday home appliances. Hopefully we can encourage the next generation to recycling leading to a positive impact on the environment.

What we do daily! 

Recycle IT are very happy to arrange a collection of old electrical or electronic items from your school including batteries in the WEEE Ireland Blue Battery Boxes. Your school might have item stored away or you might like to arrange a WEEE to School Collection Day as part of an environmental awareness campaign such as the Green Flag, whatever the reason give us a call.

To learn more about Recycle IT please visit our website. To learn more about our school workshops please contact Una or John on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Recycle IT – Green NGO of the Year Finalist 2017

Recycle IT – Free or Cost Effective Electrical Recycling

Recycle IT – Recycling Electrical and Electronics since 2002.

Recycle IT was established in 2002 as Clondalkin Community Recycle Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to provide employment opportunities and encourage actual electrical and electronic recycling in homes, communities and organisations.

Over a 15 year period our social enterprise has developed into a well-known and trusted community recycling business employing 19 people. We collect on average 400 televisions per month as well as washing machines, dishwashers, computers, laptops, monitors, phones and electronic toys, really any item with a plug or battery.

Recycle IT – Summer WEEE Recycling

WEEE Ireland

Recycle IT works in partnership with the WEEE Ireland Compliance Scheme which is 12 years in existence. We have been working with WEEE Ireland since 2005 to support and encourage increased electrical recycling through our collection and drop off services. Recycle IT will accept all your once loved and used electronic and electrical equipment. Nothing is too large or small and we are at our happiest when we are helping you recycle.

Community Collections

Our community collection team engage regularly with County Council officials across Dublin to establish and implement a public outreach plan to encourage community participation in collection days and pre-planned recycling events. We actively engage local residents’ groups, schools, community organisations and business in solving electrical or e-waste challenges. You can create space and reduce clutter in your home, office or school by simply giving our team a call. The extra benefits include reducing negative environmental impacts and supporting training and employment positions within our organisation.

Electrical Recycling at Work – Collection by Recycle IT

We find residents collection days are great way to get adults and children involved in worthwhile recycling activities within their communities. Recycle IT can provide residents’ associations with flyers, collection cards and our trained personnel will actively assist you with our door to door electrical recycling collection events so do get in touch to arrange your collection day.

Cost Effective Collections 

Recycle IT offer a, cost-effective personal and business collection service which help customers with a pending need to recycling. We can breakdown and destroy electrical, electronic, and metal equipment upon request.

Collection services are offered across Dublin and surrounding areas with dedicated teams visiting your location to help you recycle your old and once loved equipment. We can help with moving equipment once information about your site is provided.

Recycle IT – Equipment Removal Service

If you need server racking and computer equipment disassembled and removed from your site, we can help. Once electronic equipment is disconnected from power sources our team can save you time and other resources.

So if you have household, office or  commercial equipment let us know and we can work with you to arrange a solution to meet your needs.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT supported drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Green Award Finalist 2017

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Visit our Get in Touch page to request a call back.

Recycle IT Celebrating Eco Week 2017

South Dublin Eco Week 2017 starts March 27th 

South Dublin County Council have organisated and will host Eco Week 2017 starting March 27th. Now in its 13th year, Eco Week has grown and developed into a shared celebration of the environment. The week along event will be launched by the Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Guss O’Connell, in County Hall on Monday  27th March at 12pm.(by invite)

The launch this year will include young people from the County providing performances from “Environment the Musical” and the presentation of the winners of the Environmental poster competition.

This week long programme of events promotes awareness of the environment and is a fantastic opportunity for schools, communities, businesses and citizens in South Dublin to educate themselves and become a part of a solution to environmental needs. All events are FREE events but in some cases the numbers are limited, so book early to avoid  disappointment. Booking details can be found below.

South Dublin Eco Week 2017

How Recycle IT will Support Eco Week.

Recycle IT in association with South Dublin County Council hope to spread the message that electrical and electronic recylcing is good for our environent and in order to promote this message Recycle IT will operate a number of events during the week including our interactive “How WEEE Works” workshop for schools,  open days for electrical recycling  in Tallaght and Clondalkin and a vintage WEEE display in  South Dublin Country Council offices in Tallaght.

Collection Day for Workers and Business 

South Dublin Country Council – WEEE Collection Day March 2017 – Support by Recycle IT

“How WEEE Works”  Schools Workshops

Over the years, Recycle IT have learned lots while recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The team have decided to share this learning through a demonstration workshop called “How WEEE Works. The workshop introduces young learners (aged 8 to 10 years) to the concept of practical reuse and how electrical items can be recovered, reused and recycled.

Recycle IT – How WEEE Works – School Workshop

The team visit a number of schools each year to share experiences, offer insights and they always leave with lots of ideas. If your school is interested in having the Recycle IT team visit during the year please give Una a call on 01 4578321.

Open for Recycling – April 1st 2017

People in South Dublin are invited to recycle all old or once loved electrical and electronic equipment including TVs, computer equipment, stereos, large and small household appliances, really any items with a plug or a battery.

Recycle IT – Recycled Computer Covered at Recycle IT Clondalkin

The team at Recycle IT appreciates it’s sometimes difficult for people to find time to recycle electrical equipment during the week so Saturday opening for free drop helps residents, community groups and local business with an additional opportunity over a weekend, to clear out electrical equipment which is taking up valuable space while also supporting Eco Week 2017.

Our recycling facility is located at Unit 14/2 Crag Terrace, Clondalkin Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, D.22 We are opne on Saturday 1st April  between 10am – 2p or Monday to Friday (weekly) between 8.30am and 3.15pm for drop off.

Once you arrive at the recycling facility in Clondalkin our team will be available to take your appliance for recycling.

Vintage WEEE Display 

Recycle IT will  exhibit a range rare and vintage electrical appliances
collected over the years. These items are guaranteed to bring back a
memory or two so why not drop into South Dublin Country Council in Tallaght to see the display. This exhibit will run all week

Recycle IT Vintage WEEE Display @ South Dublin County Council Office Tallaght

All events are FREE and can be book with South Dublin County Council. Apply by phone to Aisling Staffrd 01 4149000, ext 6069 or Una Maguire 01 4149000, ext 2791. Please book early!

Further detials on Eco Week can be downloaded here

If you have questions or would like to arrange a personal collection from your home or business, please call 01 4578321 or email: info@recycleit.ie.  You can also visit our website to learn more about our work and our recent awards.

Recycle IT – Green Awards Finalist 2017

 

Residents Electrical Recycling – 12 Reasons its Free

Residents Recycling WEEE for FREE

Like many Irish people you probably recycle lots of your household waste. 2016 figures from REPAK show that 98% of people in Ireland recycle in Ireland. The average household in Ireland recycled 71% of household waste in 2014 up from 65% in 2012. Overall Ireland is now 4th in Europe for packaging recycling. This is great news and well done on the paper and package front.

What about all the other types of waste accumulated in homes? As the year moves along Recycle IT want to encourage householders, families and children to think about the actions they can take to recycle more old or unwanted or stuff around your home. This can include books, clothes, games, batteries, phones and toys; the list is endless.

Recycle IT – Community Electrical Recycling

Recycle IT have a focus on recylcing old, once loved and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). If your cooker, hobs or battery operated toys, radio or phone is broken or surplus to requirements what do you do? Do you leave them to gather dust in the cupboard, attic or garden shed  or do you add them to the weekly rubbish? (out of sight, out of mind) Why not consider recycling now!

Many of us simply don’t realize that items with a plug or battery can be reused, re-purposed or recycled. So if your laptop has lost its memory or your washing machine just washed its last T-shirt you might think about recycling.

Recycle IT – Reused Tumble Dryer Drum – Planter in Wicklow

12 Reasons to avail of Free WEEE Recycle

1. Recycling conserves resources e.g. metal, plastics, water, fuel.
2. Recycling reduces clutter and creates space.
3. Recycling helps reduce Co2 emissions.
4. Recycling saves energy.
5. Recycling helps protect the environment e.g climate change
6. Recycling reduces landfill.
7. Recycling reduces domestic waste charges.
8. Recycling help create and maintain local employment.
9. Recycling encourages others in your community to recycle.
10. Recycling using official locations or collections reduces dumping of waste.
11. Recycling helps our children learn about sustainability so involve your kids.
12. Recycling provides access to materials for repurposing and reuse by others

You can drop off your items free of charge with Recycle IT or arrange a or collection of your once loved electronic toys, laptops, PCs, white goods, kitchen appliances, electric gardening tools, TV’s, old video games consoles and lots more.

Once received the items, they can be reused, re-purposed or recycled leading to an overall reduction in the number electrical items going to landfill or illegally shipped to third world countries. Another real benefit is the fact that our service helps create training and employment opportunities.

Recycle IT – Residents WEEE Colection – Dublin

What has been achieved in Ireland to date

• 90,000 ton reductions in CO2 emissions from Fridge Freezers.
• 75 million electrical appliances already collected through WEEE Ireland.
• A reduction in harmful batteries ending up in landfill.
• Fewer light bulbs found in domestic waste.
• Increased employment opportunities.
• Better overall environmental awareness.

Recycle IT an award winning community recycler wishes to build on Ireland’s recycling success story and help increase the 7.6 kg of waste electronic and electrical equipment recycled per person, per year. We are inviting resident associations and community groups including tidy towns to speak with us about arranging a FREE collection in your area over the coming months.

Our recycling service is provided FREE to resident associations and community groups in Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare so please give us a call to learn more and arrange a residents collection for your area.

Please call us on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie.

Remember dropping into our site in Clondalkin is also FREE, Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 3pm. We can also arrange a cost effective personal collection. Call 014578321 now for more information

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Free Draw! Planters for Spring

Calling Schools Gardens and Community Gardeners

For all those with green fingers March is the perfect time to get those tomato and pepper seeds started indoors ready for an early spring planting! Also a great time to start planting those cool weather vegetables. As April arrives the soil will finally warming up for the growing season and its not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds.

All these plants with flourish in recycled washing machine or tumble dryer drums and you could have one or two for your school or community garden once you enter our free competition.

Instead of just breaking down washing machine and dishwater drums Recycle IT believe, they can be reused in your garden. They can be left as stainless steel planters or painted using power coating in colors of your choice.

Once the paint dries, you can plant herbs such as parsley, basil, rosemary and mint, among others, and maybe even stencil  the name of the herb on the drum. If herbs are not your thing flowers or fruit can be grown.  Recycle IT had fresh strawberry’s all summer from a planter located outside our WEEE recycling facility.

Win a Re-Purposed Garden Planters. 

Garden and household plants can be grown in a variety of recycled containers including washing machine drums. All you need to do is match the size of the container to the size of the plant and particularity the root size of the plant.

This Spring, Recycle IT are offering an opportunity to get your green fingers on an empty washing machine or tumble dryer drum to grow your plants. We have 10 empty drums available for reuse in community gardens, school gardens or with tidy town initiatives in Dublin and the surrounding areas.

If you are based in  Dubnlin and the surronding areas we are inviting you to enter our free draw to win these distinctive ‪‬planters and share them within your school or community.

Extended – a few addtional days to enter! 

The draw will now take place on Tuesday April 18th (rather than April 14th) 2017 so please email, your name, your group or school name, telephone number, email address and reasons for entering  to info@recycleit.ie Please like and share our Facebook Page – Good luck

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Create an Eco-Friendly Workplace – 17 Tips

 An Environmentally Friendly Workplace 

It doesn’t matter if you are a large or small organisation, a community group or charity reduction of waste and reuse of materials are the first steps in demonstrating you are environmentally aware, keen to help reduce waste and contribute positively towards climate change. Enthusiasm is the key and helps with implementing a simple, workable and worthwhile environmental policy.

Recycle IT – Eco Friendly Workplace

Eco-Friendly Behavior

Recycling is an easy and effective way to encourage eco-friendly behavior while allowing you contribute towards a positive impact on climate across the world or  “Your Global Market Place” We can all do our part for our earth every day by simply recycling bottles, metal, paper, electronics and other waste products.

Although recycling is important, it’s only one part of the three R’s. Recycling is sometimes considered the easier choice as its similar to throwing something away. It’s not much different to putting the item in a different bin or making a call to arrange a collection of an old PC or printer. However, there are many opportunities in a day for reducing or reusing what you think are waste materials.

17 Tips for Organisations 

1. Ask employees to make double-sided copies when using a copier.
2. Find a way to compost paper towel waste used across your organisation.
3. Source a brown bin for all kitchen waste from the kitchen, canteen, dining rooms, cafe, or coffee dock.
4. Eliminated food trays to help reduce food waste.
5. Install microwaves so people can reuse food cooked at home.
6. Share unused food from staff canteens or the cafe with local food banks.
7. Replace all bottled water with inline water filters to allow refilling.
8. Reuse and recycle surplus furniture by partnering with charity shops and reuse centres.
9. Pre-sort solid waste generated in your organisation e.g. cans, glass, paper, cardboard, plastic bags, batteries, smart phone batteries, smartphones, and fluorescent lights etc.
10. Collect and recycle vehicle waste including lubricants, antifreeze, oil filters, tires, and batteries.
11. Recycle electronics equipment from your charity, school or community group free by simply emailing info@recycleit.ie
12. Personal electronics waste can be recycled through a free WEEE to Work collection day.
13. Collect kitchen grease and convert it to electricity and hot water e.g. Vegawatt generator system.
14. Ask employees to make double-sided copies when printing reports or presentation or just don’t print reports or presentations, use power-point.
15. Send emails or use electronic document sharing tools rather than printing.
16. Reuse cardboard delivery boxes in which reports, flyers, paper etc. arrive in.
17. Buy reusable or recycled products before considering other purchases.

Recycle IT engage with many schools, communities, charities and business organisations across Dublin to recycle electonic equipment and from our experience  a Zero Waste Policy is never too early or late to get up and running.

All Recycling

It may take some time but at least you have made a start!  Get going by creating a team from different departments. Include staff and management, volunteers or students in developing a simple workable plan for reducing and diverting 100% of your waste stream over a defined time period and remember it should not cost the earth!

You might start with the purchase of product and services for operational use. Before purchasing new products all stakeholders should try to consider an item’s true cost, how quickly the product will need to be replaced and whether it can be reused, re-purposed and recycled. Cheaper products may seem attractive but are not always the best environmental, financial or lasting solution.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to over 100,000 homes, schools, charities and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

WEEE – Battery Recycling Dublin

WEEE – Battery Recycling is Good for us

In Ireland during 2016, one Million waste AA batteries were recycled through the WEEE Ireland operated WEEE Pledge initiative. WEEE Ireland has achieved its target of recycling 45% of all batteries placed on the market in Ireland by its member organisations. Great work.

Schools, business and individuals all helped by recycling tonnes of batteries and organisations like Recycle IT have supported the increase in the number of batteries collected and recycled by encouraging people to do more.

Battery recycling is a recycling activity which aims to reduce the number of batteries being disposed off as domestic or solid waste. Batteries contain a number of toxic chemicals and heavy metals which means disposing of them in regular household or office waste raised concerns about water pollution and soil contamination.

Demand for Batteries 

Global demand for  batteries is forecast to rise 7.8% per year to $120 billion in 2019. Rapidly expanding production of hybrid and electric cars in Europe and the US will help increase demand and will require extra efforts to recycle.

In developing regions, improving levels of disposable income and consumer spending will support sales of high-drain electronics (such as mobile phones and personal computers), boosting demand replacement batteries. As incomes rise, a shift to better performing primary batteries (including alkaline and lithium types) is also expected to drive market advances in the developing world. Source: The Freedonia Group

In Ireland 200 million portable batteries are powering homes and appliances. This includes 20 million waste batteries or 12 batteries per Irish household at any one time. Source: WEEE Ireland.

Battery Power

Batteries are part of every day life and serve many uses some of which you may not notice Take this UPS unit used in office or business environments. They sit under your desk  or in the server room and help save your most important computer data and customer information during a power outage. This unit and similar units are full of batteries.

Battery Operated Power Supply

 

With batteries everywhere please take care when disposing of yours. You should be complete the activity in accordance with the relevant WEEE legislation and recycled through the large number authorized and dedicated locations across Ireland using proper receptacles including the blue boxes provided by WEEE Ireland.

WEEE Ireland Battery Recycling Box

Remember batteries are safe to touch in general, but caution is needed when touching damaged units and when handling lead acid batteries. Several countries label lead acid as hazardous material, and rightly so. Please have a look at the health and environmental hazards outlined by the EPA 

Recycling Service

Recycle IT offer a battery recycling service for all types and sizes of batteries and we can arrange collection, transportation, storage, everything you need to recycle effectively. Our collection and drop off service is open to homes and organisations including schools, charities and business and we will accept all type of electrical and electronic equipment including batteries.

Recycle IT  are proud to work with WEEE Ireland to accept and recycle batteries in Dublin and the surrounding areas and remember the more batteries recycled the more WEEE Ireland can support the work of  Laura Lynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice. 

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Love Recycling – Start Now!

Share the Love

You care about recycling, but it can be a tough practice to instill this caring nature or habit in others including children. Sometimes you are left with no option but resorting to nagging which is no fun for anyone. However it can be time well spent in the longer term and is the perfect way to get kids thinking about recycling and their environment. It can help to focus minds on reducing the amount of waste which is sent to landfill by actually reducing, reusing and recycling.

Recycle IT – Love Recycling

Kids can learn with support, that lots of household, school and office items including gadgets can be recycled. Actually showing them how much recycling means to you will stay with them. “Kids really soak up knowledge, habits and choices much quicker than adults and they keep it with them throughout life.

As we get older, we become students , workers, parents and business people and we all own and use lots of items which get old or damaged. You may get a new electronic gadget for work, a birthday or  valentines day which means something older may need to be recycled.

Recycle IT – Love Collecting

It’s important that we know that old or damaged equipment can be recycled  in a compliant, convenient, secure and environmentally responsible way and services such as Recycle IT are well placed to accept all your once loved personal, home or office equipment.

It never to late to start thinking about our environment and reducing the amount of waste you, your family, friends or coworker create. If you have old stuff please think about how much can be recycled and recycle regularly as it builds the habit. There are many other benefits to reduce, reuse and recycle five of which we have list below. More can be found here

Five ways to reduce waste:

• Reuse your plastic bags and containers.
• Buy items in bulk and avoid packaging you don’t need.
• Sell, exchange, or donate unwanted furniture and goods.
• Avoid disposables – take your own reusable cup, lunchbox or drink bottle.
• Buy items loose and use refill, eg coffee

Collection and Drop Off Service

The Recycle IT teams are happy to help you recycle your old electronics effective through a free scheduled collection service in Dublin or a free drop off service at our licensed facility. There are also cost-effective personal and business collections available across Dublin and the surrounding areas which satisfy a more immediate need.

Happy Valentines Day from Recycle IT

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin providing a neighbourhood collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes, community groups and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including monitors, computers, cookers and TV’s.

Recycle IT is a not for profit organisations and services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and supported by Pobal and South Dublin County Council. Recycle IT are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Visit our website for further details or call 01 4578321.

 

Bogus – Fake – Phony – Recycling Collections

Bogus Recycling – a reality

Sometimes you might see a poster or receive a flyer promoting a free collection service for old or used items.  These collections can be for household or office equipment including clothes, metal, electrical or garden tools. Great you think! I can declutter my home, but do you dare to think these collectors might not be regulated or legal?

When you take the time to carry your old TV or radio down from upstairs, you might actually be handing it over to someone who simply loads it up onto a truck for delivery to a developing country or alternatively takes a few part out and leaves the remainder on an Irish county road in the dark of night. Is handing these items over to a no name individual in a white van the right choice?

Unwanted and Dumped Recycling

Unofficial Collectors 

Depending on market prices collector can generate an income by sending products to other countries or by simply by dumping the items. This is particularly true for recycling computer, tablets, TV’s monitors, printers and other electronic items. Recycling electrical and electronic items officially costs more in Europe but collector can get paid for exporting them to buyers in developing countries who will remove the metals for resale but won’t pay to protect their staff or their communities from the toxics emissions and waste.

As the price of metal increases washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers are becoming increasingly attractive items for unofficial recyclers. These items are stripped locally and unprofitable waste is disposed of in hedge rows and fields making our communities untidy, dismal and possibly toxic places to live.

Costs of Illegal Dumping

One example of waste costs comes from Dublin City Council who spends on average €55,000 every month dealing with illegal dumping around the city, that’s nearly €700,000 per year (Source: Dublinlive.ie).  This money and similar amounts from other county council areas could be saved and reinvested in local communities if illegal collection and dumping could be stopped.

Electrical Waste for Collection – Recycle IT

The disposal of rubbish in any area of land in Ireland without licensed approval and permission,  is illegal. It is punishable by fines from €150 up to €10 million upon conviction and 10 years’ imprisonment. In order know more about a bogus collection, we have compiled the list below.

14 tips on spotting a Bogus Recycling Collection?

1. The leaflet presenting the collections service are low quality.
2. The collector does not provide a waste facility address on leaflets
3. The waste facility license number is not visible on the leaflet.
4. There is no landline telephone listed on printed materials.
5. The phone is never answered when called.
6. An email address is omitted from the flyer or poster.
7. The collector has no website or social media presence.
8. Collection vehicles don’t have a waste collection permit number on display. (required by law)
9. Collections are made outside of traditional business hours.
10. Collection representatives don’t have any formal identification.
11. Only certain waste items are collected i.e. the most valuable.
12. A bogus charity maybe named on the collection flyers or posters.
13. No help or support is offered to move or lift heavy electrical items from homes or businesses.
14. No personal service or advice is offered on recycling different products.

It’s complicated!

It’s not an easy process to determine whether a recycler is exporting or illegal dumping your once loved stuff including electrical or electronic waste like hairdryers or phones. You can’t just go by what they say! Some will use environmental or charitable causes that sound good, but they are still unofficial. If you have a gut feeling it’s not right, follow that feeling and don’t leave the items out for collection.

Ask yourself the question – Who’s Paying?

One way to determine an official collector v unofficial collector is to figure out who is paying the recycling cost. If it’s free for you to recycle, then who is paying? A manufacturer? The State? Local Authority? If you are not paying, and there is no clear sponsor paying the costs for collection and recycling, please question the validity of the collector.  For example, Recycle IT is social enterprises who received some funds and also generate an income from responsible recycling.

Official Electrical Recycling Collection – Recycle IT

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin providing a neighbourhood collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes, community groups and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including monitors, computers, cookers and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Visit our website for further details or call 01 4578321.

Recycling Office and Home Computers Safely

Recycle IT Safely – Computers, Phone, Tablet & Hard Disks!

According to preliminary sales figures from Gartner and IDC, PC sales fell throughout 2016. Its seems that infrequent users like you and me are more likely to reach for a smart phone to access applications that ten years ago would have needed a PC.  As a result of this trend, the market is declining and is set to decline again in 2017. The graph below shows PC sales figures from 2006 to 2015 and the ongoing reduction in sales over more recent years.

PC Shipping Data

It’s also worth noting that PC enthusiasts, gamers and the business sector will continue to purchase PC in large volumes and globally, PC sales in 2016 stood at approx. 269.7 million unit shipped which is still a large number.

Data and Information 

Even with PC sales slowing we are all still large consumers of information and we are buying lots of electronic equipment with hard disk drives (HDD) to store business and personal customer information including photos of everything from our kids to bank statements and passwords (so we can have a reminder).

Whether this information is stored on external HDD, mobile phones, tablets, memory cards, memory keys or other storage devices people should be aware how important it is to destroy and recycle safely once the items have served their purpose. Both business and personal data can be valuable to others so it’s important to destroy the data on your PC, phone, memory card or tablet.

Hard Disk Drives – Recycle IT

You might be thinking, what will I do with all that information on the HDD before recycling a PC?  If so, please don’t try to  burn  or use industrial-strength magnetic forces on the devices as these methods are not full proof or safe!

What to Do next?

The key is to destroying your computer HDD is ensuring it can’t ever spin again. The physical destruction of the drive means increased confidence that stored data is obliterated and can never be used again. This is the method Recycle IT prescribe and practice.

In the interest of time and money you don’t need to destroy the full PC or laptop just the hard drive which is a small box inside of computer itself and usually contains sensitive information including credit card information, photos or contact details. So if you are upgrading to a new computer device (desktop computer, phone, laptop, tablet, etc.) please arrange for removal of the hard drive at the same time as recycling the computer!

How to Destroy the HDD?

If you are looking to dispose of an old computer with a hard drive, it’s really best to physically destroy the old hard drive just to be 100% certain that the old data is completely destroyed.  Recycle IT use electronic tools and powerful cutting tools to ensure the HDD is destroyed. This method is an ideal option for disposal of home or office hard drives.

Drilling or Cutting Hard Disk Drives – Recycle IT

Safety in Destruction

Our team take every precaution from wearing protective goggles, gloves, and a dust mask for mouth and nose when cutting into the metal drive. They can cut right through the drive, from one side to the other multiple times ensuring the platters and the controller board are shattered.  Once complete Recycle IT can provide destruction and disposal certification depending on your needs.

Finally

It’s worth making the point again – failure to arrange destruction of your old hard drives at the time of recycling your computer or phone could result in the inappropriate sharing of sensitive information.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, printers and networking equipment. This helps sustain jobs and create training opportunites for people returning to works.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

If  you need more information you can call Recycle IT a call on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

To learn more about recycling old batteries from you office safely please click UPS battery systems

Green Tips for 2017… Start as you mean to go!

Environmentally-Friendly Lifestyle

Making a move towards an environmentally-friendly life for you and your family can help improve your health and wellbeing while also offering positive benefits to your local environment. Moving away from chemical usage, unhealthy foods, over consumption, wasteful heating and other bad habits or routines can help make your life healthier and happier – sometimes it’s the feeling of change which makes the difference and just knowing you are doing the right thing can bring others with you.

Reused Planters – Recycled by Recycle IT

The following 11 tips are all achievable for you and your family and can help achieve a greener cleaner year ahead.

1. Plant a Tree. Tress are like the lungs of planet earth. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, they provide habitat for birds and other wildlife and they can absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. Magic or what!

2. Use Bins Better: Place three bins in the kitchen: one for recyclables; one for compostable vegetable waste and one for general waste. Agree  a storage space in your back garden or kitchen for your bins. Local hardware stores sell a range of bins or maybe reuse old containers. Once you have defined the space install the bins and you and your family can start making a difference.

3. Start Composting – Build a compost pile in your garden for kitchen vegetable waste and garden waste. After a few months, the compost should become dark and crumbly and you can then start using it as top-soil or fertilizer to make your garden greener than ever.

4. Reduce Packaging – Buy products with less packaging and use re-usable plates, cups and bags. Buy vegetables loose. Put leftovers into reusable tupperware type containers with lids instead of using aluminium foil or plastic clingfilm.

5. Recycling Centre or Bring Bank – Locate the nearest recycling centre to you and research the wide variety of materials they accept including cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and much more. Remember don’t litter at recycling centres or bottle banks. Take home or recycle any boxes or containers you used.

6. Gifts – Consider buying tickets and vouchers as gifts for weddings, birthdays or anniversaries. Try re-using paper, fabric or ribbon to wrap presents. It makes gifting individual. quirky and personal.

7. Parties – Have fun and afterwards recycle glass bottles and aluminium cans in separate bags or bins. Remember plastic bottles (PET and HDPE bottles) can be recycled at most recycling centres. Hint – Look for 3 chasing arrows with either a number 1 or number 2 inside – this means these can and bottle can be recycled in Ireland. Enjoy the party!

8. Clean – Wash out all beverage containers including milk and juice cartons. Rinse out bottles and cans, remove lids and flatten plastic containers to save space.

9. Batteries – Save up all the used batteries for recycling, then bring them to school, your local supermarket or Recycle IT. Change to rechargeable batteries for battery operated toys and gadgets. It saves the environment and your money!

10. Gadgets – People are always updating phones and its estimated that over a million old mobile phones plus many other gadgets are unused in Ireland. Most recycling centre accept old mobile phones and electronic gadget as will Recycle IT. You can also try selling or donating your unwanted gadgets. This promotes reuse. Reuse is good!

11. Coffee and Water – Bottled water and coffee cups create mountains of waste daily. They are inefficient, expensive, and harmful to our world. Instead, try using refillable coffee cups and water bottles; Bring a coffee cup to work for reuse or try a water filter to cleanse the tap water followed by a quick chill in the fridge.

Mountains of Coffee Cups

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

 

Dublin Recycling Centres

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Recycling in Dublin

There has been approx 75 million waste electrical items collected since 2005, that’s over 70 electrical items per household in Ireland but 1 in 4 Irish people are still hoarding or putting  electrical waste in the trash at home. (Source: WEEE Ireland).  This article is all about encouraging you to recycle electrical items using local services. With that in mind we have complied a list (all on one page) of WEEE recycling centres and services in Dublin.

Recycling Services

Recycle IT support householders, charities, community groups, schools and business with electrical and electronic recycling services in Dublin and the surrounding ares. Services offers are complementary to those offered by the Local Authories across Dublin.

Recycle IT – Electrical Toys and Fridges for Recycling

Services include a free drop off for domestic or dual purpose electrical or electronic equipment with collection services available on request. Collection services are offered free to groups previously listed with a cost-effective solution offered to business recyclers and or those with an immediate need.

Householders in Dublin City and surrounding areas can also bring their unwanted electrical items (WEEE) to a number of recycling centres promoted or operated by their Local Authority. At these centre people can dispose of items such as toasters, cookers, kettles, or lamps, really any domestic appliance.

Alternatively householders can take back WEEE to retailers free of charge. The take back system usually operators on a one-for-one basis, i.e. you can exchange an old toaster for a new one  but it’s usually not possible to return a fridge freezer while purchasing a new hairdryer. A number of large retailers actively promote this scheme so keep an eye out.

Recycle IT – WEEE Collection Service

Recycling Centres in Dublin

There are  recycling centres located across Dublin which will take back household WEEE and lots of other waste items.

Waste by Image

The main centres are listed below:

• Shamrock Terrace Recycling Centre (North Strand) – Tel: 01-836 4716
• Pigeon House Recycling Centre, Ringsend – Tel: 01-614 4750
• Electronic Recycling, Unit 20, Jamestown Business Pk, Finglas – Tel: 01-864 0806 ((waste electrical & electronic equipment only)
• Ballymount Civic Amenity, Ballymount Ave. (Off  the Walkinstown roundabout) – Tel: 01-4621251
• Coolmine Recycling Centre, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Dublin 15.  (Beside Coolmine Fire Station). Tel: (01) 890 5986
• Estuary Recycling Centre, Swords, (beside Swords Business Park)
  Tel: (01) 890 5985
• Ballyogan Civic Recycling Facility, Ballyogan Road, Dublin 18. Tel: (01) 291 3600
• Recycle IT, 14/2 Crag Terrace, Clondalkin Industrial Estate, Dublin  D22   Tel: (01) 4578321 (waste electrical, electronic equipment & metals only)

Trade waste is usually not accepted at Household Waste Recycling Centres. Recycle IT will support small and medium size businesses to recycle dual purpose electrical and electronic waste.  It’s always a good idea to call the centres in advance of a recycling visit. The call can ensure to don’t make a wasted trip.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Visit our website for further details.

 

Free Electronic Recycling Collections for Schools, Colleges….

Battery, Electrical and Electronic Recycling for Schools, Colleges…

Dublin schools, colleges and training organisations have the opportunity to recycle old and once valued electrical and electronic equipment over the coming months.  The service is offered free and is dedicated to reducing large amounts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) which accumulates in classrooms, canteens, stores and labs over time.

Recycle IT, is a community based social enterprise, offering a simple and efficient route to recycle disused electrical and electronic items. After collection, items are broken down and recovered materials are processed for use in the manufacture of new product. Your recycling helps sustain our organisation and create employment and training opportunities.

The free collection service help diverts e-waste from landfill and makes use of old items that may have been thrown away. The types of items usually collected include computers, kitchen equipment, phone systems, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, monitors, projectors, printers, battery-operated toys, televisions and radios. Please click here for a full list 

We Recycle IT – Schools – Colleges – Trainers

Schools, Community and Fundraising 

Our schools collection service is organised as part of our free community collection service. We also support WEEE Ireland with collections of batteries from schools around Dublin which in turn supports the work of  the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.

During 2016 we worked with over 100 schools and colleges all over Dublin and saw an overall increase in electrical equipment collected for recycling and we are hoping for a similar trend in 2017.  We encourage students, parents and teachers to get involved by bring in once loved electrical items from home. We hope this will increase awareness of electrical recycling and encourage the next generation to recycle as a norm. Recycling electrical equipment might also help your school achieve or maintain your valued Green Flag

Recycle IT – Supporting Battery Recycling

Register an interest

Schools, colleges and trainers wishing to register or schedule a collection simply need to complete a registration form by clicking here or call our team on 01 4578321 between 9am and 3pm, Monday – Friday. Once you call or email we can help you plan and schedule your e-waste collection.

For more information about Recycle IT please click here.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT (formerly Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative) are an award winning, not for profit, social enterprise established to create employment and promote environment awareness through recycling and reuse. We work in partnership with WEEE Ireland and are authorized by your local authority to provide electrical recycling collections across Dublin since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant for WEEE collection with permit detail available here.

 

Business Recycling Collections – WEEE

Business Recycling – Collection Service

Some of the many questions facing Business Owners, IT, Operations and Facilities Managers include how to create additional space while safely removing and recycle surplus or redundant electrical and electronic equipment including computers, servers, cables racking and much more. The next question is, can we find a solution which is safe, timely, cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Electrical Recycling at Work – Collection by Recycle IT

The Answer is Recycle IT

Recycle IT, based in Dublin, is an award-winning electrical and electronic recycling company with over 15 years experience in offering collection and drop off services.  From our centrally located recycling centre just of the M50 we can offer a one stop recycling service for all computer and IT equipment as well as most other electrical and electronic products including kettles, cookers, washing machines and dishwashers.

Our experienced teams provides a friendly, professional and timely service across Dublin and the surrounding areas daily.  We collect directly from business premises and ensure safe recycling of your items. Many items collected are broken down into their component parts for processing into new raw materials. Our facility team can physically destroy hard disk drives upon request.

Recycle IT – Collection of Business Electronics

Our collection teams are happy to accept any electrical items so do call or email with questions. We can also support FREE WEEE to Work Days for staff as part of a collection from your business.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

During 2016 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s. Services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland, with support from South Dublin County Council. Recycle IT  are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. .

Book a Collection:

To book a personal or business collections please call 01 4578321 or book online here

Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

The Secret Life of Appliances

Amazing Figures for recycling in 2017

Its New Year 2017 but our story starts in 2005 when an estimated 33.2 million washer appliances were produced in the European Union (EU). 18 million of these were washing machines 9.7 million were dishwashers and 5.5 million were tumble dryers. (Source: Energy: Studies for Eco Design) This means on average 1 in 12 EU citizens purchased a washing appliance in 2005.

Recycle IT – Washing Machine

If we look at this in a different way, it now just over a 11 year later (the average washing machine life) and a similar number of people should be recycling their old washing appliance in an ecofriendly way. This included 1.18 million families located all over Ireland. (CSO 2012). In 2013 Irish people recycled 19,463 metric tonnes of large household appliances include washing machines. On average the approx weight of washing machine is 75KG so that’s alot of recycled washing machines.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (all types)

WEEE is a complex mixture of materials and components and if not properly managed, can cause environmental and health problems. Moreover, the production of modern electronics requires the use of scarce and expensive resources

In 2013, the amount of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collected varied considerably across EU Member States, from 1.2 kg per inhabitant in Romania to 18.4 kg per inhabitant in Sweden. The considerable variation in the amounts collected reflects differences in Electrical and Electronic Equipment consumption/purchase levels as well as the different performance levels of the waste collection schemes in place.

A comparison of WEEE collection in 2007 and 2013 shows that separate collection has improved significantly in most of the countries. Decreasing amounts for WEEE collection were reported by only seven EU Member States including Ireland where the level of separate collection was already high so Ireland is still doing very well. (Source: eurostate)

Computers in 1.3 Million Households

It was reported in 2012 by the CSO that 83% of households in Ireland, which translates to approx. 1.37 million homes have a computer. Its also means in 2016/2017 these same households will have a computer to recycle as PC’s are usually replaced every 4 ½ years. The replacement rate was confirmed by survey, carried out by Crucial, which polled more than 1,000 PC owners aged 16-70 in the US, France and the UK.

Recycle IT – PC Recycling

PC’s, laptops, phones and tablets can contain toxic substances, and are effectively hazardous waste so recycling with a reputable organisation is important. Ireland has laws and directives governing recycling and lots of authorized recyclers but still computer waste finds its way to developing countries. This is alarming and means electronic goods are disposed off in some instances with no care or concern for the world’s environment.

Offering recycling to 100,000 homes and organisations.

Recycle IT is a social enterprise  offering recycling services to over 100,000 homes, as well as community organisations, charities and businesses across Dublin. We recycle Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) including washing machines, dishwashers, heaters, microwaves, ovens, computers, monitors, refrigerators, freezers, batteries, lights and much more.

Recycle IT – List of Appliances

We are happy to help you recycle the items list above and any other electrical items you may have.

Stress free collections or drop off

The team at Recycle IT believe electrical recycling does not have to be hard or stressful and in fact it can be a real positive for the environment, for communities and for the economy.  Recycling reduces the use of natural resources, it creates employment and brings communities together through collection events or recycling days resulting in cleaner and happier places to live.

Recycle IT offer a range of safe, helpful and friendly electrical recycling services including free collection and drop off service. Businesses can avail of collections and free WEEE to Work days can be arranged.  If you have an immediate need Recycle IT can provide a cost effective personal and business collection service within a few days and we can assist with lifting and moving your appliances or IT equipment.

Recycle IT work in association with your local authority and are partners with WEEE Ireland in recycling any item with a plug or battery. Our work helps create and offer training and employment opportunities for people returning to work.

To learn more please visit  www.recycleit.ie.  You can telephone 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie  Recycle IT is located at Unit 14/2 Crag Terrace, Clondalkin Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Read our blog post on Recycling Computers Safely

Recycling Christmas Trees in Dublin

Real Christmas Trees are Recyclable 

After the festive season is completely celabreated, don’t throw your real Christmas Tree in the bin or leave it on the street.  You can usually  recycle locally. We know all local areas are different, but after reading this blog post you should able find a tree recylcing centre close to you in Dublin!

Recycle your Christmas Tree in Dublin

Before you do click the links below have a look at some facts and tips on what can be done with your trees after the Christmas holiday.

• Real Christmas trees are often chipped into mulch at local recycling centre, the mulch can be reused in bedding or wooded areas.
• Remember it takes time and effort to grow a tree, to harvest a tree and to get it to market (Tree up to 6 to 7 feet can take 4 to 15 years, with the average being 7 so pelase do recycle).
• Recycled real Christmas trees have been used to make sand and soil erosion barriers and been placed in ponds for fish shelter.
• Growing Christmas trees provides a habitat for wildlife.
• Christmas trees can remove dust and pollen from the air.
• Christmas trees have been used to rebuild housing structures for natural wildlife that has been destroyed through development.
• Artificial trees will last on average for six years in your home, but for centuries in a landfill.
• An acre of Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
• You should not burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace; it can contribute to creosote buildup.

List of Tree Recylcing Centres 

All the County Council areas in Dublin make arrangements for  Christmas Tree recycling services starting early January 2017 and running right up to the middle of January 2017 .

2017 – Recycling Christmas Trees in Dublin

This service is free and is for domestic household trees only.  Usually one tree per household / vehicle will be accepted.  Signage will be placed at the various locations indicating that it is an official recycling point. For a list of locations near you please see below

Christmas Tree Recycling Centres Dublin 

1. South Dublin City Council has made tree recycling arrangements this year at 21 locations in South Dublin. Click here for more details 
2. Dublin City Council has made similar tree recycling arrangements over the years at 11 locations in Dublin City 
3. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will have Christmas Tree recycling available to residents at the locations listed here
4. Fingal County Council will offer a Christmas Tree recycling service at the locations listed here

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Merry Christmas from all the Recycle IT team

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

24 Christmas Tips – Waste Not – Want Not:

Care, Sharing, Reuse and Recycling

Christmas is a time for caring, sharing and giving with Irish families around the country embracing this tradition each year. It also traditional for Irish people to travel lots, shop lots and eat like lords and ladies over the festive season, more so than at any other time during the year.

Yet, at this time, it’s important to remember our environment and keeping it safe and clean so everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of crisp festive winter days.  We want to encourage fun, sharing, celebration, rest and relaxation  but with a message of reduce, reuse and recycle over the festive season.

Recycle IT – Have an Environmentally Friendly Christmas

This year we have assembled 24 festive tips which will help you to reduce the environmental impact of Christmas and save a little money at the same time!

Have a read of our 24 tips which will take you to Christmas Day 2016

1. Cut up your old Christmas cards and use as present labels.
2. Bring bags and reuse them for Christmas shopping.
3. Try using non-disposable items such as rechargeable batteries
4. Buy recycled Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas cards.
5. Try to reuse envelopes by sticking new labels over the address and send again.
6. Make your own cards with the kids
7. Send an electronic Christmas card to distance family instead of posting one.
8. Buy gifts that don’t have much packaging like vouchers or tickets.
9. How about trying a recyclable artificial Christmas tree – they last for years.
10. When sourcing a real Christmas tree, make sure they can be shredded or composted after Christmas.
11. Choose a present of antique art, silver or jewellery, promote #reuse
12. Buy second hand items as presents e.g. bikes, electronic games, games table or a doll house.
13. Source your Christmas fruit and vegetables loose not pre-packed. This helps reduces the amount of packaging.
14. Take unused or surplus food to foodbanks before, during and after Christmas.
15. When preparing your seasonal vegetables, peelings can be compost (and scrape the plates)
16. Buy soft drinks in large bottles rather than small ones & recycle the glass or plastic.
17. Recycle plastic and metal packaging including bottles and cans.
18. Stuff your shoes with old wrapping paper to help keep their shape or dry them out.
19. Don’t use paper plates, plastic cutlery or paper table clothes
20. Order your food online, save time and the environment
21. Buy high quality goods that will last.
22. Reuse last year’s Christmas Jumper and Santa Hat for the office party. (no one will remember).
23. Bake or make Christmas treats rather than buying e.g. jam, biscuits or chutney.
24. Separate old items like WEEE from other waste when you get a minute over Christmas and recycle ealier in the New Year.

 Recycling isn’t just for Christmas. 

Should you receive a gift that just isn’t to your taste, try to re-gift’ it to someone you know will enjoy it.  Charities will also happily accept donations of unused items.  Many people will receive great Christmas presents which will replace old or damaged electronic gadgets. You can recycle the old items at either your local recycling centre or at the shop where your electrical present was purchased.

Recycle IT – Christmas Gifts

Finally, adopting a Kris Kringle-style approach with family and friends will allow you to focus time and money on arranging an outstanding present for just one other person, instead of having to buy lots of small gifts which can create lots of waste!

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Merry Christmas from all the Recycle IT team.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

European Week for Waste Reduction 2016

Promoting European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR)

The 2016 European Week for Waste Reduction runs from November 19 to 27th and is an initiative to promote the implementation of awareness-raising actions to help sustain resources and improve waste management.

The week aims to encourages a wide range of audiences including public authorities, businesses, civil society as well as communities and individuals to get involved in waste reduction.

Its main aims include

Raising awareness about waste reduction, product reuse and material recycling

Highlight the work accomplished by organisation involved in Waste Reduction Week

Mobilise and encourage individuals to concentrate on four key action themes including.

• Reduce – Strict avoidance and reduction at source
• Reuse – Preparing for reuse and reuse
• Recycle – Waste sorting and recycling
• Let’s Clean Up Europe! – European Clean-Up Day (May 2017)

Actions for waste reduction including reduce, reuse and recycle should be part of everyday life. Please can click here to read more about ideas for  reduce and reuse.

Focus on Recycling

Recycling means any recovery operation taking place after collection and by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. Recycling reduces the amount of waste that is land filled or incinerated and secures that waste material, after being transformed, forms part in manufacturing new products. Recycling, waste constitutes a source of secondary raw material and therefore helps to decrease the use of material, energy resources, pollution and natural resources.

Waste Reduction, 2016

Recycling includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for back filling operations.

Some Ideas to Increase Recycling Activities

• Individuals can take the recycling lead at home, in school or at work.
• Display information which informs others including kids about the environmental, social and economic impact of waste.
• Design easily understandable sorting guides and share them with your target audience.
• Plan and introduce waste sorting at work, in schools, in public spaces where to live (supported by sorting games or rewards).
• Arrange site visits at recycling or composting centres to learn more.
• Invite recycling organisations to work events, libraries, schools or other locations to speak about the environmental, social and economic impact of waste and the benefits of recycling.
• Organise  clean-ups – click here for more details

Sharing

When you decide on an idea remember to take pictures, record audio and videos and then use what you’ve recorded to show the results.  Publish your achievements using print, social media, community TV or via a local exhibition.

Promote the Benefits of Recycling including

• Reduces the amount of waste and resources lost in landfills or burnt;
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials;
• Saves energy needed to make new products from raw material;
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change;
• Helps sustain the environment for future generations;
• Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries.

Real Recycling

Recycle IT works daily in Dublin and the surrounding areas to recycle waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and our team are passionate about doing their best to achieve our objectives.

Recycle IT offer a selective collection service for WEEE and then sort and stream material collected which is essential for compliance with waste regulations. Establishing selective collection and drop off services such as those offer by Recycle IT  encourages individuals and organisations who might not otherwise, to sort and stream their waste. This has in turn helped improved WEEE recycling rates in Ireland.

Remember all waste should be separated, whether home or in the office. It should be disposed of correctly and electrical waste should be recycled with an authorised and licensed service.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

 

Light up Christmas – Green the Lights

Switching on the Christmas Lights!

Despite the dangers of mixing bright open flames with drying needles from real Christmas trees, candles of all shapes and sizes features as the preferred Christmas lights over many generations and into the 20th century in homes across Ireland and many other countries.

The earliest manufactured Christmas lights were made of blown glass or porcelain and appeared on Christmas trees in the homes of wealthy people in the 1800’s. In the early 1900’s, it was fashionable to buy hand-painted bulbs shaped like animals and flowers.

Light Up Christmas

As you can imagine the general public  at first didn’t trust electric lights as a safe alternative to candles, but that changed after  US President, Grover Cleveland erected the first Christmas tree with electrical lights in 1895. With more than 100 multicolored bulbs, the brightly colored tree got the attention of people across the USA, and illuminated Christmas trees soon became the rage all over the world, —if you could afford one!

This year lots of families in cities, towns and communities across Ireland will be switching on new Christmas light. Today most of these light will be LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights which means traditional lights are no longer favoured.

 

DIY Lights

We suggested finding a new use for your old lights so why not start today.  You will find some awesome DIY ideas for reusing / recycling old light and bulbs at www.brit.co   The team at brit have listed lots tips with pictures which demonstrates what can be achieved. Whether you’plan to turn light bulbs into small vases or cover it with glitter to masquerade as a festive pear, these versatile pieces of glass can be reused anywhere.

Christmas lights can be reused at other times of year.  You and your kids can make some of lights covers in the shape of Valentine Hearts, Easter Bunnies or Halloween Pumpkins and you have colorful decorations for many different celebrates or festivals

New Lights

Today LED lighting offers many benefits and features that were difficult,  if not impossible, to offer with old lighting used over many generations. These benefits, include enhancing operating energy leading to cost reductions, longer life and lower overall heat generation. Others benfits inlcude appearance productivity and reduce temperatures produced by LEDs. You can read more below!

1. Most LED lights cost only little more than traditional Christmas lights and glow brighter.
2. By changing to LED lights you will save on electricity during the festive season.
3. A longer life span means lower carbon emissions. LED Lights last up to six times longer than other types of lights, reducing the requirement for frequent replacements.
4. Strings of LED light can be much longer than traditional lights
5. New LED lights generally stay cooler which is deemed safer.
6. LED lights now create the glow of incandescent light or traditional fairy lights so you can relive memories of years ago.
7. LED lights contain no toxic elements therefore they help to protect the environment and reduce toxic waste created by traditional Christmas lights.
8. 95% of the energy in LED lights is converted into lighting with only 5% wasted as heat.

Reused and Recycled Lights

Before you buy lights this festive season, it’s important to compare your options and find out the type of lighting works best for you and your home. Whether it’s incandescent lighting or LEDs you choose. Remember LEDs can save you money and reduce enwergy consumption which is a positvie for the pocket and the environment.

Recycling Lights

Whether its old indoor, outdoor, colored or white lights, you should try to reuse or recycle. Old lights and other unused Christmas illuminations should not left sitting in boxes in the store, shed or garage. They’ll usually never shine again once replaced by newer alternatives. In reality unused items creates unnecessary clutter which will need to cleared in the future.

If you do decide to recycle your old lights please do so in an environmentally friendly way. Recycle IT are happy to collect old lights and other electrical or electronic items or you can drop them off with our recylcing team. You can also drop them at your local recycling or bring centre. 

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT are Recoginsed as Age Friendly

 

Recycle IT – National Award Winners

2016 National Friendly Business Awards

JCI as an organisation, recognise the pivotal role small businesses play in Ireland so each summer sees JCI branches across the country run the JCI Friendly Business Awards. These awards were set up to recognise businesses that excel in serving the needs of local people while also playing a vital role in community development.

The JCI National Friendly Business Awards are supported by Bank of Ireland and is the flagship business programme operated and promoted by JCI. They acknowledge and celebrate the value many small businesses bring to communities across Ireland every day.

2016 JCI National Friendly Business Awards – Winners and Runners Up

The awards are run first at a local level with each JCI branch in Ireland awarding winners in the following categories, Community Impact, Customer Care, Digital Experience, Disability Access, Eco-Friendliness and Shop Layout and Design.  In 2016 there were over 500 entries across all categories with local award winners selected from these entries.

For the National Award each JCI branch then puts forward a short list of local winners to be considered for the National Friendly Business Awards. The national award winners are selected through a public vote and by a panel for judges.

Theresa Cahill, Ivan Farmer, John McEntee, Ronan Neacy, Neil McCabe

Eco Friendly Winner 

This year the awards were held at the JCI Ireland National Convention in Galway on October 21^st and Recycle IT were delighted to accept the National Award for Eco Friendliness. This followed on from our JCI regional award for Dublin received in August 2016.

John McEntee, Marketing Manager with Recycle IT says “we take great pride in winning this national award. It helps us stand out as an ‘Eco Friendly’ community electrical recycler, it sends a positive message to people and organisations with whom we work today and hopefully will help us further promote our electrical recycling services to business, community groups school’s charities and the public”.

Una Lavelle, General Manager with Recycle IT says “our recent JCI Award for Eco Friendliness raises the profile and enhance our reputation as a social enterprise offering customer focused waste management services. It helps us promote the work we do with communities all over Dublin and surrounding areas while at the same time places a real value on the work of our team.

Thanks for all the hard work JCI Ireland and JCI Dublin put into this years awards from all at Recycle IT, Community Electrical Recycling.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s. Recycle IT also work with communities across Dublin to support reuse.

Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority.

Visit our website for further details or call 01 4578321

JCI Ireland 

6 Benefits – Reuse – Re-purposing – Recycling

Why Reuse, Re-purposing and Recycling,  

Waste is defined as any substance or object which the holder discards or intends to discard or is required to discard. Frequently used terms include refuse, garbage, rubbish, trash or junk. Source: Environmental Protection Agency

After years of recession Ireland’s economy seem to be growing rapidly and more than the EU average. This trend is forecast to continue over the next number of years and as a result Ireland and some of its people will again feature as one of the wealthier countries within the EU and the world. This is positive but also brings challenges as richer countries generally produce more greater amounts of waste and including large amounts of paper, packaging, glass, plastic and electronic waste.

Reuse Month – Recycler IT with South Dublin County Council

Lets take a look at every day items like toasters, kettles and phones. As we produced more of these items, they become cheaper, people replace them with increasing frequency and older items are discarded as waste. It’s harder for us as a race to manage this waste without damaging our environment.  Challenges are posed by large scale usage, frequent upgrades and little reuse of electrical and electronic equipment. NEW is a common feature of everyday life today.

Did you ever think others might wish to use the items you once loved but no longer require. Most items in a home or office can be reused and re-purposed by others which saves money for the person disposing and the person receiving.

By thinking about an alternative use or doing a little research you can help determine if your clothes, shoes, beds, computer, monitor, games console and many other types of equipment can be reused, re-purposed or recycled by you or others.

Recycle IT have outlined six benefits of reuse, re-purposing or recycling.  

Have a look! 

1. Money saving – Sourcing second hand items can be more cost effective than buying new and you will often find amazing one-off deals by doing a little extra looking.
2. Energy saving – Donating items for re-use helps save energy. A lot of energy goes into the manufacturing new items so by thinking about how you can re-use or re-purpose once loved electrical appliances helps reduce need for new products.
3. Environmental protection – We can all help reduced air, water and soil pollution by recycling equipment such as computer, kitchen applications CRT monitors, batteries, light bulbs and much more.
4. Conserving resources – Each time clothes, cars or electrical appliances are upgraded or updated, we use lots of raw materials to assemble the new models. Extracting natural resources to create raw materials changes our world, reduced resources available for future generations and increases the effects of global warming. How does make you feel?
5. Reducing landfill – Reuse, re-purposing and recycling daily reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill or for incineration leading to a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy.
6. Supporting community organisations – Buy items at affordable prices and raise much needed money to support the work of not for profit organisations and charities. Alternatively recycling with charity shop or reuse projects really helps create training, employment, income and environmental opportunities, just look at Recycle IT 

Reuse – Vintage WEEE Display at South Dublin County Council Office in Dublin

There are many ways you can pass on your unwanted items for reuse, re-purposing and recycling

• Donating to a local charity or community organisation.
• Pass to a family member or friend
• Repairing items. E.g. mobile phones, washing machines, toys
• Offer to a re-use organisation.
• Research ideas for re purposing and ask others to re-purpose.
• Recycle with an authorized and approved organisation.

Finally….

There are many good reasons to treat  waste sensibly and this can be achieved by making informed decisions about what we buy and how to get the most from our purchases. Separating needs from wants and introducing a simple planning process can help reduce frequency of purchase, reduce waste disposal and most likely save you money.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s. Recycle IT also work with communities across Dublin to support reuse.

Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority.

Visit our website for further details or call 01 4578321

 

Age Friendly Ireland

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winners 2016

The Pakman Awards 2016

The Pakman Awards are a national awards programme that recognize excellence in waste management and recycling among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals in Ireland. The overall awards are arranged by Repak with various categories sponsored by a range of Irish organisations which you will find listed here.

Whether you are a local recycler, tidy towns group just starting out or a large organisation recovering, processing or transporting waste materials you are encouraged to submit an entry.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winners 2016

In late summer 2016  Recycle IT submitted our first application to the Pakman Awards and we were delighted to be shortlisted. Then on October 27th 2016 we went one step further and were announced as winners of the overall award in the category, Environmental Education and Awareness Initiatives. 

The award ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Ballsbridge Dublin 4 on the evening of October 27th. It was a fantastic event which promoted and rewarded the work of organisations large and small across Ireland.

John McEntee and Una Lavelle – Recycle IT

As an organisation we were thrilled to receive our award from Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Mr Denis Naughten and CEO of Repak, Mr Seamus Clancy. (pictured above)  We want to thank all those involved throughout the process for their efforts and support and especially our hard working collection and recycling teams.

About the Pakman Award

The Pakman Awards was launched in 2015 by Repak to replace the Repak Recycling Awards and allow more accessibility to the awards for all organisations who demonstrate their sustainability and environmental efforts.  The inaugural Pakman marked a significant change in the direction for Repak whose awards were previously only open to its members and recovery operators. Now all organisations who can demonstrate their environmental waste management practices and efforts can enter.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT  work with schools, residents associations, voluntary groups and charities across Dublin and the surrounding areas to support reuse and recycling initiatives including WEEE workshops, bring days, and community gardening using re-purposed waste.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Please click here to learn more about all the Pakman Award Winners 2016.

 

Recycle IT  are recognised as Age Friendly by Age Friendly Ireland

39 Reuse Tips – Reuse Month 2016

Reuse IT 

For generations in Ireland and across Europe thrift was one of the main reasons for reuse.  In the developing world it’s still the case and leads to very high levels of reuse.  In Ireland as in other developed countries rising wages and greater consumer purchasing power has increased demand for convenience products.

Minions – Reuse Toilet Roll Tubes

This has greatly reduced reuse of lower value items in favor of disposal or recycling.  Recycling is positive and has great benefits but uses resources including time, human capital and natural resources (e.g. fuel) to get the items to locations where they can be recycled effectively.

If you can reuse an item yourself, it can help save money, save time, and the environment Reuse helps reduced CO2 emissions and the mining of raw materials.  Reuse can be a matter of thinking a little differently and figuring out how old milk cartons, cans, bags, bicycles, tires, packing or wood maybe reuse to match your needs. Reuse will truly find a new life for items around your home or workplace.

We have created 39 reuse tips for reuse month, October 2016 – Have a read and see what you can do!

39 Tips 

1. Create reusable lunch boxes or storage containers from large plastic ice cream tubs.
2. After a picnic or BBQ, wash and save plastic knives, forks and spoons then store for your next outdoor event.
3. Reuse large plastic milk container to water garden plants rather than a hose: pierce small holes in the top side of the container and fill with water for slow, steady and simple watering.
4. Harvest seeds from fruit and vegetables and try to grow them!
5. Use paper egg cartons or toilet paper tubes (both are biodegradable) to start growing seeds into plants. They can be dropped right into the soil once strong enough.
6. Turn toilet rolls or paper towel tubes into playthings for children or nesting materials for your small pets.
7. Create egg carton crafts

   

   Reuse IT – Egg Carton Alligator

8. Store printed pictures and photos in poly pockets to reduce the aging effects from humidity, damp and light.
9. Use old wine corks to create a floating key ring; your keys won’t sinking while at the pool, beach or lake.
10. Use a 2-liter plastic bottle to create a bird feeder.
11. Used cold bacon fat in a tuna or cat food tin to feed you feathered friends, just hang from a tree or post in the garden.
12. Put old newspaper under a tablecloth to offer protection against spills.
13. Clean your window on Monday with Sundays newspapers (instead of paper towel)
14. Place an open jar or bowl of dried, used coffee grounds in your refrigerator or freezer to neutralize odors.
15. Keep a jar of dried, used coffee grounds to use with washing up liquid. It acts as a scouring agent for baked on food
16. Placed used coffee grounds in a ring around garden plants to keep bugs and slugs away.
17. Refresh your eyes fresh with chilled and dampened tea bags taken from the fridge.
18. Cut old bike tire tubes tube into strips to make rubber bands in custom sizes.
19. Cut or shred paper or thin card into eco-friendly packing material for presents or parcels.

    

    Reuse IT – Washing Machine Drum Light

20. As kids out grow coloring pencils, pens and art supplies try donating them to your local school.
21. Empty bottles, sweet boxes and biscuit tins can be used as small screw holders, tool boxes, sewing kit or cake holders.
22. Collect old soap ends in to stocking leg and keep by an outdoor tap, ensuring you have hand wash for outside use.
23. Cut up old t-shirts and use them to clean up messy spills around the house and in the garage.
24. Used an old adult t-shirt as painting overalls for your kids – saves washing clothes.
25. Old tights make great rags for cleaning, dusting and shining
26. Old tights can be reused as sleeves for storing posters, wallpaper rolls, wrapping paper or anything else that needs to stay rolled up.
27. Cut the legs of old jeans for make supper cool shorts for summer.
28. Use banana peels to shine your shoes. Rub the inside of the peel on shoes, then shine with a soft cloth.
29. Turn bread heals into breadcrumbs once dried out. Just blitzed.
30. Use the peels of juiced lemons and limes to make zest and twists, which can be dried or frozen for later use.
31. Use juiced citrus fruit halves sprinkled with salt to clean stainless steel and other metal fixtures.
32. Add a piece of orange peel to brown sugar to ensure it stays soft.
33. Don’t throw away half used copy books, up-cycle into kid’s  drawing books.
34. Unravel woolen jumpers and knit something new for you!
35. Reused material from 3 or 4 broken umbrellas to assemble a retro style rain poncho.
36. Jars can be cleaned and used to store homemade jams, preserves or even as desk organizer for pens, paper clips or pencils.
37. Save old toothbrushes to scrub hard to reach places, like grout, sinks or behind water taps.
38. Collect broken china to re-tile outdoor tables, flower pots or paths.
39. Hang old clothes drawers or washing machine drums on the wall to create shelves or used them as storage boxes.

Waste is Treasure! 

We all know one person’s waste is another person’s treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted electrical appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them, you will be reducing waste and helping others.

Local community groups, charity shops, schools and nonprofit organisations may accept a variety of donated items, including used books, paint, working toys and unneeded furniture. Please click here to learn more

Reuse IT – Milk Carton – Water Carton

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s. Recycle IT also work with communities across Dublin to support reuse.

Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority.

Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT – Dublin JCI Friendly Business Award Winners – Go National

JCI Awards 2016

JCI is a nonprofit organisation of young active citizens age 18 to 40 who are engaged and committed to creating impact in their communities. Active citizens are individuals invested in the future of our world.  JCI gathers active citizens from all sectors of society across 100 nations.

JCI Friendly Business Awards

Nearly 200,000 JCI members around the world take action to make concrete and positive change and one of the ways this is achieved is through it’s awards programmes.  Whether it’s New York or Dublin  JCI operate and run a very worthwhile and positive awards programme and in Ireland it promotes the positives for operating a Friendly Business.

JCI Dublin

Businesses entering the awards compete at local, regional, national and international levels where entries are evaluated and companies are visited, telephoned and questioned to gauge Business Friendliness. Once this process is complete entries are shortlist and winners are selected by a panel of  judges. At national level the public also get to vote!

Recycle IT entered and competed in the 2016 regional awards for Dublin where 1.2 million people and potential customers live and access a wide range of business products and services regularly.  JCI Dublin wish to encourage as many businesses as possible to be friendly and operated the awards to promote the value of friendliness in attracting and keeping customers.

The Award

After our success in being shortlisted, Recycle IT are delighted to announce “We are Winners”  Eco Friendly Business Winners for 2016. We are really happy and take great pride in accepting the Award from JCI Dublin.

We want to wish all the businesses who entered, were shortlisted and won even more happy customers and successful business growth.  I’m sure you’d agree, it’s great to be part of this awards programme. You can read more about the JCI awards and other winners at ThinkBusiness.ie

 

JCI Friendly Award Winners 2016

Next Stage

The next step is the JCI Ireland National Friendly Business Awards.  Voting is now open and you can click here to register your vote for Recycle IT . Every vote puts us in with a chance of winning a national award under the JCI Ireland Eco Friendliness category. Remember you can vote daily right up until midnight on Sept 25th 2016.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s.  Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority.

Visit our website for further details.

11 Recycling Facts for 2016

Recycling Week 2016

It was Repak Recycling Week 2016, recently and Reuse Month is coming this October. These named weeks and months are established to promoted the importance of  reuse and recycling. They offers you,  your kids, family, friends and colleagues an opportunity to refresh on how to reduce, reuse and recycle and learn some facts about how we are doing as a nation.

Its worth noting recycling is a very effective  economic development tool as well as an environment saver. The mantra of Reduce, Reuse  Recycling offers direct employment opportunities and can reduce environmental concerns in communities.

 When items are collected with skill and care, some can be fixed for reuse and others disassembled becoming a resource that contributes to local income, jobs, business expansion, and the local economy.

Repak recently released figures noting that 98% of Irish people know how important recycling is, yet there’s still work to be done. Even though most of us recycle, there are still issues around recycling contamination meaning that even those of us with the best intentions are actually putting the wrong things in that green bin. Contamination in your recycling bin can be as high as 36%.

Recycle IT – Community Electrical Recycling Collection

Don’t Bin Electronic and Electrical Items  

When you think of electronic or electrical waste equipment (WEEE) or e-waste, do you think of items like computers, radios, light bulbs, zip disks, and tapes drives, clock alarms or wall clocks, even cameras, it’s really any items with computerised parts.

These items and similar are adding to an ever increasing e-waste mountain and the pile usually starts building in people’s homes. We know  electrical or electronic items  are not recycled as easily or as frequently as other recyclable materials such as paper, glass or plastics. Some of the items are very large and hard to recycle, others are small and have a personal or perceived value so people don’t want to let them go!

Lets share some facts! 

1. Generally the original owner of a laptop will keep it only three years before it is tossed. Mobile phones last 24 months or less.
2. It is estimated in 2013 that 84% of all Irish households have access to a computer at home with the figure highest in Dublin region where 86% of all households have a computer (CSO 2013)
3. There were 5,432,182 active mobile phone subscriptions at the end of March 2013 which works out as 1.185 mobile phones for every person in Ireland (ComReg)
4. Recycling electronic and electrical equipment allows materials to be reused, and re-using materials creates new jobs.
5. Recycling just one computer has a positive impact on stopping electronic waste pollution.
6. Between 1950 and 2005, worldwide metals production grew six times.
7. Electronic waste can contain more than 1,000 components, many of which are toxic, including heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium.
8. Nokia report that globally, 74% of consumers don’t think about recycling mobile phones, despite the fact that around the same number, 72%, think recycling makes a difference to the environment.
9. Technology and IT equipment make up only 6% of the overall WEEE recycled in Ireland (WEEE Ireland Report 2014)
10. Computers, laptops and tablets are not designed to be recycled mechanically – they are difficult to take apart, many of the materials cannot be easily identified. It takes real manual effort to extract components. (Recycle IT 2015)
11. Recycling helps to conserve energy and as a result less greenhouse gases are emitted

There are many ways that recycling helps our environment. Why not try to remember and introduce these 5 points.

• A reduction in landfill and industrial waste by reuse or recycling.
• Reduced energy usage by reuse or recycling.
• Less pollution through reuse or recycling.
• Increased employment by reuse or recycling.
• Sustainable usage of nature resources by reuse and recycling.

When Irish people wish to make a point, they usually do it well. This needs to be the case with reduce, reuse and recycling

Recycled Plastic Bottle Greenhouse

By recycling, your positive actions makes you part of the solution rather than part of a global problem. As local communities we must plan and first take steps to reduce the amount of waste and including e-waste that is clogging up our lives .

Making sure that recyclable items such as computers don’t end up in the wrong bin, landfills or illegally dumped is an important step toward green living and environmental conservation for future generation.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

During 2015 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s.

Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority. Visit www.recycleit.ie  to learn more or book your recycling collection on telephone 01 4578321.

Learn more about Repak Recycling here

 

 

 

29 Reduce, Reuse and Recycling Tips

Go Green of life

Recycling is an easy way to protect our environment and climate while ensures the wellbeing of our community for the next generation. However, the success of recycling depends on the active participation of every member of the community including kids of all ages.

Recycle IT – Eco Friendly Electrical Recycling.

By everyone doing a little, we all can reduce the amount of waste that is deposited in the landfill or incinerated. Thinking about the reuse of materials made from recycled materials helps maintain the recycling circle and its part in the circular  economy.

We have listed 29 recycling tips – You might adapt some!

1. Use both sides of the page when writing or drawing
2. Give your kids or local schools part used printed paper for drawing.
3. Bring your food to school or work using a reusable hardware tub
4. Rent or hire school books and supplies (reuse)
5. Hire gardening tools that you only use occasionally
6. Opt for low-energy light bulbs
7. Give your unwanted clothes a second life
8. Reuse and repair as much as possible
9. Choose to buy soap
10. Choose long life or durable products e.g. reusable razors or ink pens
11. Use rechargeable batteries in home appliances
12. Avoid unnecessary purchasing of occasion products, e.g. Christmas, Easter
13. Offer gifts, such as tickets for a show, sports event or concert leading to reduce material content
14. Choose eco-friendly products – read the labels
15. Buys product with less packaging
16. Buy regular use products in bulk, e.g. tinned and jarred products.
17. Reuse shopping bags
18. Use refillable products e.g. coffee, loss tea
19. Drink tap water
20. Prepared food at home for picnics while reusing flasks, tubs, knives, forks, and reusable carry bags
21. Choose fresh food rather than processed food, healthier and less packaging
22. Limited home and office printing, share files over email or file sharing tools e.g. Dropbox
23. Recycle ink cartridges
24. Bring a mug and glass to work to refill coffee, tea or water during the working day
25. Approach office supply companies about purchasing used office equipment
26. Cycle to work rather than take the car
27. Car share where distances are longer and where public transport is not accessible.
28. Take your uneaten food home from restaurants in a doggy bag.
29. Composite garden cuttings to create a natural fertilizer

The 3 R’s

In Ireland and across Europe, the focus on the 3 R’s has increased over recent years As recovery of resources through, reuse, repurposing and recycling has increased it has become increasingly important for consumers to take steps themselves to ensure product are recycled using accessible and  economically sustainable solutions.

Reused Tumble Dryer Drum by Recycle IT

Recycle IT are at the forefront in offering WEEE recycling services directly to people’s homes. We deliver over 2000 leaflet a week  promoting our community collection service.

A few days later our teams visit the area and provide a curbside collection. We encourage people to take advantage of this free and accessible collection service. We also offer services to business, community groups and schools and colleges so rest assured we have a service to match your needs.

By recycling in this way you can be assured your waste electrical and electronic equipment with be treated in accordance with WEEE legislation. Your efforts also helps our organisation create training and employment opportunities which otherwise would not exist .

If you have questions or would like to arrange a personal collection from your home or business, please call 01 4578321 or email: info@recycleit.ie.  You can also visit our website to learn more about our work and our recent awards.

Recycle IT – Green Awards Finalist 2017

Recycle IT – Shortlisted for Friendly Business Award

Junior Chambers Ireland – Friendly Business Awards 2016

JCI Dublin in association with Bank of Ireland are delighted to announce the Friendly Business Awards for 2016.

JCI Dublin – Friendly Business Awards.

Now in its 9th year the friendly business award recognises businesses who go the extra mile, providing an outstanding customer service for their customers and their community across a number of categories including:

-Community Impact/ Social Friendliness
-Customer Care
-Digital Experience
-Disability Access
-Eco-Friendliness
-Shop Layout/Design

Following a phenomenal number of entrants this year, Recycle IT have been shortlisted by Junior Chambers Ireland (Dublin) for the regional finals.

Team Recycle IT

This is the second time in 2016 that Recycle IT have been shortlisted for an Friendly Business Award – Great News!  We are delighted to be attending the JCI Awards Event in Dublin.

Hopefully can win “big”on the evening! Taking part and hopefully winning helps our ‘not for profit’ social enterprise promote an environmentally friendly, community focused electrical recycling service to a wider audience.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony, hosted by the Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 on Saturday 27th August 2016.

Managing Summer Clutter

Reduce your clutter this Summer

Recent research in the UK suggests homes are now packed to the roof with clutter.  The most cluttered room in the house is the main bedroom, followed by spare bedrooms with generation x (aged between 35 and 44) hoarding the most. (Source: Lloyd’s TSB)

Research by the National Association of Professional Organizations shows there is a direct correlation between productivity and clutter. Did you know your productivity declines when clutter and chaos rise. Can piles of paper, disorganisation and information mismanagement take over your office at home or in work?

Recycle IT – Summer Clutter

In Ireland a 2015 study found that on average two in five Irish adults (38%) consider themselves to be a hoarder, meaning more clutter (Source: Empathy Research) The research commissioned by NESTA outlined 58% of respondents found it hard to get rid of their possessions. WEEE Ireland report approx 1 in 4 or 25% of Irish people are hoarding or throwing out electrical waste at home.

Based on this research and our hands on experience in collecting and recycling electrical and electronic equipment, people do hoard items in the belief they might be useful one day. Gadgets and appliances are moved to sheds, stores, attics, cupboards, and drawers. and rarely seen again. We all know technology, functionally, design and appearance changes at speed and appliances become dated in no time.

The internal conflict 

Kids fight a battle for the latest gadgets and eventually parents and grandparents give in. Across the world people are buying approx 270 million PC’s a year. With 1.37 million homes in Ireland owning a computer, where do the older models go?

Office Clutter – Recycle IT

Weather at home or in work reducing clutter helps create space, demonstrates a willingness to change and if done correctly ensures products can be reused or recycled for future use. Recycling can also help create jobs and increased environmental awareness.

To reduce clutter and recycle more why not ask Recycle IT to help you. We can recycle;

• Large and small TVs, monitors, (CRTs or LCD’s) games displays, electronic pictures frames, tablets and mobile phones.
• Large domestic appliances: e.g. washing machines, electric cookers, dishwashers, tumble dryers .
• Cooling appliances: e.g. refrigerators, freezers, electrical coolers boxes, drinks fridge.
• Gas discharge lamps: e.g. energy saving light bulbs and fluorescent light tubes
• Small household appliances, electrical tools, games consoles, electronic toys and games, mobiles phones, telephones.
• Remotes controls and batteries from small appliances. We can provide separate container for batteries so please recycle them separately.
• Office equipment such as computers, HDD, printers, photocopiers, scanners, mobile phones, desk lamps or cameras.
• Anything with a plug or a battery.
• Metals lockers, cabinets, old bikes or metal table and chairs  metal lawn mowers, metal forks and knifes, metal cooking pots and pans.

Recycle IT is always interested in hearing about your home or office efforts to reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. We can support you, your community, school, college or business with a WEEE collection service and safe recycling to helps reduce the amount of old and once valued electrical equipment in your possession.

For more information please call Recycle IT on 01 4588321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Recycling your Electronics at Work

Change is good! 

As you will know from information in the media there is general belief that emissions of greenhouse gases are a key factor in climate change and that urgent action by people, worldwide including governments, business leaders and individuals is required to ensure emissions firstly stand still and then are reduced so further harm to world is stopped.

Electrical Recycling at Work – Collection by Recycle IT

The overall message to nations is one of less reliance on fossil fuel and mining of raw materials. Nations need to work on developing a low-carbon society. Recycling can help and especially recycling electrical and electronic waste. It supports the recovery of valuable metals and plastics which ultimately reduces the need for mining and drilling.This results in the reduced use of fossil fuel and processing of raw materials.

Why recycle? 

Each year, people throw away million of electronic appliances so we have to constantly  remind ourselves that recycling electronic waste helps protect our health and our environment by:

• diverting thousands of tons of waste from landfills and incinerators;
• keeping toxins such as lead, mercury and cadmium from contaminating the air, water and soil; and
• conserving natural resources by allowing valuable materials to be reclaimed and reused, rather than using virgin raw material.

Recycling at Work

We know TIME is a limiting factor. You may be studying, travelling, caring and/or working  up to 70 hours a week and when you arrive home WEEE recycling is not a priority. Leaving electrical stuff out in the evening for collection the next morning is another job to add to a long list!

WEEE To Work – Recycle IT

Solutions 

Recycle IT an award winning electrical recycler works daily to help create cleaner, greener communities and raise awareness about electrical recycling. Our collection service aims to make it easy for companies to recycle electronic items and our complementary WEEE to Work collection encourage companies to hold WEEE to Work days where staff can bring electrical or electronic items to work for free collection. We will accept any item with a plug or battery but its general small and medium size items that staff bring along

We offer an opportunity for you and your colleagues to bring old or unwanted electrical items to a central location on a pre-arrange day and our team will pick everything up for free. We have vehicles to service large buildings or small offices and everything in between and we are licensed and authorised to help you. 

Call or email our team 

We want to speak to you today about a collection of WEEE and waste batteries from your workplace so to learn more or book a collection please click here or call 01 4578321.

 

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin providing a community collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s.  Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authority. Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

Goodbye Throwaway Society. Hi Sustainable Communities

 Our Circular Economy

Most people don’t like throwing away stuff so the idea behind the circular economy is a real alternative. It helps preserve our planet’s natural resources and reduces further damage to the way we live our life today and in the future. Really the circular economy is about ‘rebuilding, reworking, reusing’ everything we produce, while at the same time generating zero pollution.

People & The Circular Economy

Buy and Selling

Consumers changing  buying habits and demands and staff changing product and service designs can help companies! Instead of simply recycling their waste or cutting their energy consumption businesses in the circular economy can review and change the way they produce goods and services.Implementing this type of change helps business close the production circle meaning products will support easy maintenance, easy reuse and refurbishment and lastly allow easy recycling (easy disassembly).

Some of us will remember a time when drinks bottles were reused. It worked well for lot of drinks companies but was abandoned. It’s time to think in that way again. In a circular economy, each new bottle is designed for future sharing or reuse and at the end of its life (e.g. when is get chipped or broken) it becomes a potential resource or raw material, recycled as a new bottle, vase, etc. Does this makes sense!

Recover, Repair, Reuse…..

The circular economy sets out to change production and consumption of goods and services. It aims to design goods to be shared, repaired and reused as in past era’s and is the opposite of pre planned obsolescence or breakdown.

The Circular Economy

Repairing is again becoming the norm due to our need and want for self-staining communities. Just look at repair cafes. By reducing, reusing, sharing and finally recycling products, we’re radically changing the way we use and consume them.

What we can do?

Take WEEE or waste electrical and electronic equipment, it represents the one of the largest and most varied source of waste in the world and is growing by an estimated 3–5% annually. (Source: Eurostat) The recovery of expensive and scarce resources such as metals from these products represents a significant economic opportunity. However, current recycling technologies and business models have limited ability to recover these resources, and associated recovery rates remain relatively low and costly to achieve.

Washing Machine Recycling – Recycle IT

To address this, we need to manufacture products which fit the circular economy model. We need to build in longer life while removing obsolescence from electrical appliances, we need to ensure software updates and patches don’t slow down electronic devices e.g. phones and tables but rather make them more efficient and effective. We need products which can be opened and repaired. Business models for service and repair will grow to support this vision. It should mean products last longer and less of our natural resources are used Recycling should be consider the last option and when consider items should be recycled to create new products!

If wish to learn more, please look to Ellen MacArthur who set up the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2010 to champion the circular economy concept. Since then, the foundation has been influential in making it resonate among world leaders, global corporations and academic institutions.

You can also read about what some businesses are doing @ Coming of age: The heroes and villains of the circular economy. The article features organisations including Patagonia and Apple  – well worth a read.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin providing a neighbourhood collection and drop services for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin. Visit our website for further details.

Recycle IT @ Bloom in the Park 2016

Recycle IT are Blooming

Bloom in the Park is in its 10th year having been launched by Bord Bia in June 2007. The original aim for ‘Bloom’ was to promote Irish horticulture by providing a showcase for garden plants, garden design, construction, horticulture and gardening as a hobby. Well it worked, and 10 year on it’s an annual pilgrimage for well over 100,000 people to a 70 acre site at the heart of the Phoenix Park, close to Dublin City Centre.

Recycle IT @ Bloom

WEEE Planters 

You might be asking yourself, what is an electrical recycling organisation doing attending the Irish premier horticulture event? In reply, Recycle IT repurpose and reuse washing machine and tumble dryer drums to promote the message of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Drums recovered by Recycle IT are provided for use in community gardens, school gardens, and by Tidy  Town Groups across Dublin and Wicklow. We also have made drums available to keen gardeners and even movie makers to enhance their real and imaginary gardens. Bloom in the Park is an idea event to show people what can be achieved.

Recycle IT at Bloom 2016

Recycle IT collect a range of electrical items daily including washing machines and tumble dryers. Our team select the best and work to prepare the drums for reuse” which includes, recovery, checking, cleaning, or removal operations. This leads to having drums which are reused as planters for trees, fruit, vegetables and flowers. Other garden uses include patio heaters and bbqs.

Community Reuse

Recycle IT attended Bloom 2016 as a member of the Irish, Community Reuse Network (CRN), an all Ireland representative body for community based reuse, recycling and waste prevention organisations. The  Community Reuse Network  does not operate any reuse or recycling services directly, however member organisations provide a range of reuse and recycling services.

Recycle IT – Fireplace Planter

Learning 

While attending the event the team visited other stands including stands from the best Irish food and beverages producers in the world. In our opinion the ‘Food Village’ was the most popular area and showed of the many positives of small, medium and larger Irish food and drinks producers. Our team got in insight into Ireland’s renowned fruit and vegetable industry and tasted a wide range of locally produced breads cheeses, juices and fruits in what was great weather and a wonderful venue. We also networked with other organisations and hopefully can help some recycle their old and once loved electrical equipment.

We are looking forward to next year!

Contact Recycle IT on 01 4578321 or click here to email our team.

Recognised as Age Friendly

RECYCLE IT – RECOGNISED AS ‘AGE FRIENDLY’

Recycle IT was awarded an Age Friendly Business Charter during 2016 in recognition of efforts to support older people in communities all over Dublin with electrical recycling collection and drop off services. Recycle IT are proud of the team’s work in achieving recognition and in also getting shortlisted for an Age Friendly Ireland Business Award.

Age Friendly Ireland

Recycle IT, a social enterprise is honored to be the first Dublin based Community Electrical Recycler to be recognised in this way.  The team views the programme as an opportunity to learn more and offer an ever improving service to older people and all customers.

Una Lavelle, Recycle General Manager, said:

“We want to ensure our services meet the needs of everyone including older people.  By signing the Age Friendly Business Charter, we are showing our commitment to providing services that are customer focused and accessible”.

Elaine McGauran Age Friendly Ireland said:

“We are delighted to announce Recycle IT has been designated as ‘age friendly’ by Age Friendly Ireland. The Age Friendly Business Programme is a nationwide initiative with the aim of facilitating local businesses tap into an existing and growing market segment that accounts for 50% of consumer spending, the older customer. The programme seeks to recognise the efforts and improvements made by local businesses to provide more age friendly services”.

Elaine McGauran Age Friendly Ireland and Una Lavelle, Recycle IT General Manager

In initially working to implement an Age Friendly Charter, Recycle IT addressed three main areas

1. Customer Care – two staff members agreed to become champions to ensure older people experience a friendly and helpful service which address individual needs.
2. Communication – information on our services is straightforward and our team can be contacted easily.
3. Accessibility and signage – clear building and van signage and appropriate size text used on our website.

As a result of taking part in the programme, real service enhancements have been made and welcomed by members of the communities we service.  These include a dedicated collection team telephone number, clearly recognisable collection vehicles, staff identity badges and building signage. Further enhancements are planned.

The Age Friendly Achievement Award Ceremony happened on Tuesday 24th May 2016 in Fitzpatrick’s Killiney Castle Hotel, Dublin with the Recycle IT team receiving recognition on the night for their efforts in supporting older people in communities across Dublin with recycling services which address individual needs.

Awards Night – Recycle IT team with Councilor Barry Saul

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin providing a neighbourhood collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Recycle IT – Age Friendly Champions Mark Graham and George Willis

During 2015 Recycle IT offered collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE including over 7000 monitors and TV’s.  Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and with the cooperation of South Dublin County Council. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and South Dublin County Council.

For further information, Tel: 01 4578321, email: info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie

Tips for Summer – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Irish Summer Reduce, Reuse and Recycling Tips

As the Irish weather heats up a little (well it might) and days get longer our evenings fill up with activities including visits to the beach or park. We have weekend BBQs, games and lots of opportunities for fun. This all adds up to lots of leisure time spent outdoors in our beautiful Irish green environment. So, while we are playing, eating, swimming or sunbathing we can still have a focus on reducing waste, saving resources and keeping the environment green with these summer reduce, reuse and recycling tips:

1, Lawns and Gardens 

Don’t let that cut grass end up in a landfill!  Used your grass clippings as organic fertilizer. It can be reused to benefit your immediate garden environment. Instead of binning the grass as you cut, leave it on the lawn where it will return valuable nutrients to the soil. Alternatively, you can add your clippings to a compost heap. Either way, grass recycling will make a big impact on the environment and help to reduce landfill burdens.

Recycling Furniture Gardening

2. Summer Travel

Whether travelling in a group or by one’s self consider using public transport, walking or cycling to your preferred location. This can help reduce the environmental impact of Co2 emission and save you money. If you are in a city location like Dublin, you can avail of the Dublin Bike Scheme so plan in advance. If you really need to use a car, you could try sharing a Go Car for once off summer events, might be a real alternative to buying a car which sits at home for long periods unused.

3. Summer Food and Snack

On family trips to the zoo or a visit to the beach try packing homemade sandwiches, fruit and snacks in reusable containers, bring a flask and use reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water, tea and coffee. Take bags along to collect recyclables and look for recycling bins when you stop for breaks. The average household of four people uses approx. 330 glass bottles and jars each year. Recycling 6 glass bottles per week saves enough energy to boil 2 kettles with enough water in each for five cups of coffee, so please drop off your bottles at the local bottle bank this summer! (Source: Recycling Live)

Summer BBQ and Food

4. Summer Toys

If you have footballs, beach balls or pool toys that are old, try finding other uses for them or patching holes before throwing away. You might even offer them to a charity shop for use by others. These products are usually made of PVC and therefore not recyclable, so think about that before buying new ones.  If you are shopping for new summer toys, buy those made from recyclable materials to minimize the environmental impact.

 4.Summer  BBQs and Picnics

Whether at home, or in a park make recycling easy by taking and using a clearly labelled recycling bin. Recycle cans, glass, plastic, and aluminium foil. Since plastic cutlery usually can’t be recycled, provide reusable knives and forks for your guests. If you really want to work toward zero waste, put out reusable napkins, plates, cups, and cutlery at your next event! Of course, this isn’t always practical so, if you must buy disposable, try to find paper products that are made from biodegradable or compostable materials

5. Summer Equipment

Do you need to dispose of 10 year old garden furniture, lawnmowers, old BBQs or outdoor grills?. You can recycle all these type items instead of throwing them away! When recycling the equipment, please clean it thoroughly and then take it apart, separating the pieces into piles of metal, glass and plastic. Stainless steel, steel, cast iron, brass and aluminium can all be recycled. Plastic parts should all have a recycling symbol and number that tells you how they should be recycled. Remember you can recycle the electronic and metal components with Recycle IT.  Once you have recycled your old equipment and are looking for a replacements try to choose an eco-friendly, long life, easy clean model. Remember when cooking you steak, gas and electric BBQ’s or grills are better for the environment than wood or charcoal.

Summer Recycling – Lawn Mowers

6. Clothes

Try to reuse last year summer clothes. It’s possibly 8 or 9 months since they have been last worn and nobody will remember them. If you have to choose a new range of summer clothes for you or your family remember to recycle any used clothes with a local charity shops. They can be used by other people over and over while raising funds for much needed causes.

Opportunity Knocks 

This summer is an opportunity to become a proactive recycler. Involved your kids and teach them about recycling now, so they will practice it throughout their life. It is important to teach our children about the environment and the positive effects of reduce, reuse and recycling. Start your summer with fun activities such as a garage clean out and car boot sale that will promote reuse and recycling, and keep your kids occupied! Tidy towns is another good option!

To learn more about recycling your once loved electrical items give Recycle IT a call on 01 4578321. or visit our website

 

Recycle IT @ Bealtaine Festival 2016

National Celebration of Creativity as we Age

This festival is Ireland’s national celebration of creativity as we age. During May 2016 all over the Ireland Bealtaine events are running in clubs, community centres, theatres, libraries, galleries, arts centres, local halls, care setting, cultural spaces and at outdoors locations! so why don’t you, your family and friends make a special effort and attend an event or two. After all 2016 is a special year, the Bealtaine Festival as it is celebrating its 21st birthday.

South Dublin – Bealtaine Festival 2016

Bealtaine Festival organisers expect over 120,000 people to take part in Bealtaine events across Ireland during the month. Planned activities range from dance to cinema, painting to theatre and much more. These events showcase the talents and creativity of both first-time and professional older artists.

It is a chance for people to make new and challenging work, a chance to communicate traditions between the generations. It is a chance for the novice to discover a talent until then unseen and a chance for a long-dormant skill to find a new outlet. Its a chance to volunteer or help your community do something new.

Launch Event

Recycle IT were invited to the South Dublin County Council launch event on May 4th 2016 in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel. We arrived with our stand and shared information on community recycling with over 100 people attending. We shared lots of WEEE Ireland battery boxes and Recycle IT cards providing information on our electrical recycling collection service. People attending were from all over Dublin including Tallaght and Clondalkin and we were delighted to speak and offer details on our community electrical collection or drop off service which aims to be age friendly and inclusive.

We want to say thanks to Social Inclusion Unit of South Dublin County Council for inviting us along and making us feel very welcome.

Una Lavelle, Recycle IT and Maria FInn. South Dublin County Council

About Bealtaine

Bealtaine is an Age & Opportunity initiative part-funded by the Arts Council and delivered by hundreds of organisations around the country. Dublin City Council is an investment partner. To view the Bealtaine Festival programme of events for Dublin please click here or to download the South Dublin Age Friendly County Newsletter here

Una Lavelle Recycle IT and Councillor Sarah Holland, Mayor of South Dublin

Bealtaine Festival Vintage Electrical Display

Recycle IT  have a vintage electrical display in Tallaght Library to celebrate Bealtaine Festival. The display is assembled from everyday household items which have been collected over the years. Please go along with your kids and have a look over the coming weeks and up to the end of May 2016. It really is a blast for the past!

If you have any questions about recycling electrical items using our collection or drop off services please call our team on 01 45789321 or email us

Eco Week Recycling Events 2016

South Dublin Eco Week 2016

Eco Week is a festival of events which celebrates and promotes what you can do for your environment, your community and your life. Eco Week 2016  will start on April 18th and is inclusive of  Earth Day on April 22.

Recycle IT is pleased to announce that this year it will participate in and operate a number of events for Eco Week 2016. This includes a weekend Recycling Drop Off Day which will allow an extra opportunities to recycle all your old and once loved electrical and electronic equipment. All events during Eco Week are operated in association with South Dublin Country Council.

Eco Week 2016

Community Electrical  Recycling Drop off Day

People can recycle electrical and electronic devices which includes computer and household appliances, really anything with a plug or battery. Items recently dropped off for recycling include unwanted cookers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, laptops, fridges and freezers.

The drop off day will take place on Saturday April 23rd 2016  between 10am and 2pm in Clondalkin, Dublin 22 and all are welcome.

Una Lavelle, manager with Recycle IT appreciates it’s sometimes difficult for people to find time to recycle electrical equipment. Una says “this free drop off service offers residents and community groups an additional opportunity over a weekend, to clear out as part of the spring cleanup”.

Once you arrive at the recycling facility in Clondalkin our team will be on hand to help you. They will take your items for recycling and answer any questions you might have.

Recycle IT are normally open Monday to Friday from 8.30am for free drop off or you can avail of our dedicated collection service.

The Recycle IT recycling facility is located at:

Unit 14/2 Crag Terrace, Clondalkin Industrial Estate, Clondalkin Dublin D22 TK37 Tel: 01 4578321, email: info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie

Recycle IT – Recycled & Reused Washing Machines

Further Events for Eco Week 2016

Recycle IT will operate a WEEE to Work Day in Tallaght where people can drop of old electrical and electronic equipment on the way to and from work. You can see a vintage display of electrical appliances used in homes years ago at the South Dublin County Council Office in Tallaght from April 18th  We will also provide school children with an overview of “How WEEE Works” through a number of inclass events during the week. For further details and a brochure of all events please email info@recycleit.ie

To access the a list of events for Eco Week 2016 please click here

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin and surrounding area providing a neighbourhood kerbside collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment as well as a residential drop off service.

Recycle IT (formally Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative) started in 2002 with a collection service added in 2007. During 2015 we worked with approx. 100,000 homes across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE (including over 90,000 monitors) Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and with the cooperation of South Dublin County Council. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and South Dublin County Council.

Tree Week and Electrical Recycling

Whats Common to Trees and Recycling? 

The Tree Council of Ireland has been organizing “Tree Week” since 1985. Its a week of events to celebrate trees and is sponsored by the ESB in association with Coillte. This year ESB Tree Week 2016 runs from Sunday March 6th until Sunday March 13th.

Tree Week 2016 was launched by Dr. Matthew Jebb, Director of the Botanic Gardens, in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin at 2pm on Sunday March 6th, 2016 and is the start of a week of events across Ireland.

Recycle IT over the years have supported a range of community groups with planters, training and guidance on growing trees in recycled Tumble Dryer and Washing Machine drums and we are delighted to see trees planted in re-purposed electrical equipment including once cherished household appliances . These drums offers a cost effective, durable and environmentally friendly solutions to planting trees in areas with limited space available such as community gardens, schools and footpaths.  We all can have a tree somewhere close!

Recycle IT Up-cycled Planters – Bloom in the Park

Tips for Planting Electric Trees!

Planting trees in upcycled containers is just like planting other plants except the tree and your tumble dryer drums are larger.

The best trees for containers are small and slow growing with compact root systems.  Some trees drop lots of seeds, leaves or fruits during the growing season.  so keep this in mind if you are locating planter on a patio, deck or balcony.

Look for trees that have something to offer all year  and a variety that is suited to your climate and the growing conditions in your garden area

Recycle IT – Tree – Reused Planter

Different trees can tolerate shade, wind or pollution better than others.  Some of the best container-friendly trees aren’t hardy enough to remain outdoors year round except in milder climates so you may need to move the tree planter to a less exposed area during winter. Dwarf tree varieties and those with slow growth are the easiest to establish in planters. Conifers – especially evergreens – require less food and nutrients than trees with broad leaves You can learn more about planting trees by watching this video from the Tree Council 

Tree Week Events

As we move through  tree week, you will find a wide range of events taking place, from tree planting to poetry readings, something for everyone and you can learn more here. If you are interested in reusing a tumble dryer drum to plant a tree, maybe in a playground,  for a tidy town or  in a community garden give Recycle IT a call on 01 4568321.

The Power of Recycling Electronics

What does Electronic Recycling mean?

Electronic recycling, or e- waste recycling, is the responsible breakdown of equipment like old computers, smartphones, tablets, monitors, phones systems, games consoles, printers and televisions into component parts or fractions which can be reused

Tablet Computer Device

Licensed e-waste recycling facilities and recycling service providers offer drop off and collection services. Data can be securely destroyed leaving computers and laptops free of all personal information and ready to break down so that toxins and valuable resources are recovered properly. Metals like copper, aluminum, lead, gold and palladium can be recovered from computers, televisions and other personal electronic devices and reused.

Why Recycle Electronics?

Today rapid technology change, low initial purchase cost, and planned (built in) obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of computers and other electronic devices in homes, offices and business around Ireland. The majority of electronic items today are lighter and/or smaller so people do hoard them. We want to encourage you to recycle these items, it helps to protect the environment, keep the circular economy moving and simply creates space.

It worth noting personal information can be retrieved from equipment dumped in the landfill or by the road side so why not take control and arrange disposal through a licensed electronics recycling organisation where you can arrange for your personal information be securely removed.

Today’s World 

In the USA there are approximately 24 general electronic devices per household according to the Consumer Electronics Association and if you think about it Irish households are not far behind this number. Across the world  PC sales have dropped substantially over the last number of years only to be replaced by sales of tablets and larger smartphones in consumer markets. It look like business is also on the move smarter and smaller technology!

Time – electronic Arm Watch / Smart Watch

Today’s Ireland

The Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg reports that there were 5.4 million active mobile phone subscriptions at the end of March 2013. This figure jumped to 5.6 million active subscriptions by June 2014.  This equates roughly to 1.22 mobile phones for every man, woman and child in the country, irrespective of their age. That’s a lot!

We can see that digital device ownership in Ireland is moving ahead at pace with the average Irish home owning at least four connected digital devices never mind the non connected items. The Household Sentiment Survey by Eir estimated that 1.2 million homes had a tablet in 2013 with 1.8 million adults owning a tablet at the end of 2014.

Over the last 10-years Irish people have recycled 7 items per household per year. That’s 70 million items in total. Great news, but is it enough!

Mind the Gap

There is a “Gap” Over that 10-year period people are recycling only a fraction of electronic devices in their homes. What’s happening with the balance? Where are all those unused smartphones phones and first generation tablets going?. We do know some are in full working order and continue to be used or reused but the majority should be ready for safe sustainable recycling.

Where they go! 

Draws, sheds, attics, kids, grandparents and yes some electronic waste or e-waste finds its ways into household waste bins. Should toxic materials from electronic items be disposed off in this way?

Recycle IT – We Recycle IT

Substances like arsenic, lead, and cadmium can potentially leak into soil and ground water once sent to landfill sites or when dumped illegally. This damages plant and animal life and potentially impacts our food chain leaving our children, family and friends open to illness which may not be diagnosed for many years.

Help by Recycling Your Electronics!

In addition to toxins, electronic products such as games console, tablet devices, TVs, computers and monitors also contain valuable resources and materials, including precious metals, copper, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Recycling electronics not only keeps your old electronics out of our landfills, but also:

• Conserves natural resources
• Reduces pollution
• Saves energy
• Saves resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the Earth
• Reduces the effects of climate change
• Creates opportunities for reuse and re-purposing
• Creates local employment
• Safe destruction of confidential materials

 

To learn more about electronic recycling in Dublin please visit the Recycle IT website or call 01 4578321 to book a licensed and secure e-waste collection.

Recycle IT are a not for profit social enterprise. Working with us helps maintain and create training and employment opportunities.

Shorter Product Life Means More Recycling?

What is a Circular Economy

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional economy in which we Make Products, Use Products and Dispose Off  Products. The circular economy encourages us to keep scarce resources in use for as long as possible and extract the maximum value from them. This might include buying a radio, using it for 20 years regardless of fashion trends, size trends, peer pressures or appearance upgrades. Its still a radio once it provides the opportunity to listen to news, music or sport.

Recycle IT – The Circular Economy

The European Commission has adopted an ambitious new Circular Economy Plan to help European businesses and consumers to make the transition to a stronger and more circular economy where our resources are used in a more sustainable way.

The proposed actions will contribute to “closing the loop” of product life-cycles through greater efforts to reduce, reused, re-purpose and recycle in order to bring benefits for both the environment and the economy.

Benefits for The Environment, Consumer, Public Authorities and Businesses include

• An increase in reuse and repair of products which will extend their longevity, provide consumers with financial gains and reduce waste.
• Improved durability and repair-ability of products which benefits to consumers pockets  .
• Positive environmental impacts and improved enforcement of guarantees

Can these benefits really happen?

Yes it can: But we do have to ask questions about electrical and electronic products with apparently shorter life cycles. Whether it’s electronic toys, computers, TV’s, hairdryers, tablet PC’s or mobile phones, most are used for shorter periods of times before they are replaced. This was the conclusion of a recent study carried out by the German Federal Environment Agency  (UBA, February 2016)

2016 Apple_III – Recycle IT

The downside to having new and shiny electronic equipment is the vast consumption of valuable resources required to create them. The  end to end production process or supply chain creates pollution in the form of greenhouse gases, e.g. extraction, manufacturing and transportation. The report calls for minimum requirements to be established for product life and quality, “a sort of minimum shelf life for electrical and electronic devices”.

Its not just shiny electronic, the number of large household appliances like cookers, washing machines, fridges and dishwashers that had to be replaced due to a fault within the first five years after purchase also increased, from 3.5% in 2004 to 8.3% in 2013, according to the study carried out by the Öko Institute in Freiburg, Germany . This study was carried out in conjunction by with the University of Bonn.

The president of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Maria Krautzberger suggested that the capacity to repair the device should be facilitated by repair-friendly design and the making available of spare parts to non-manufacturers and other third parties. A second suggestion stated, that products have a recommended life span as product price is not a good indicator of reliability yet consumer who pay more expect a longer life span.

2016 Recycle IT – Vintage Reuse

The drive to recycle our products and reduce factors such as climate change is one of the main aims of the European Commission’s circular economy package, which is intended to increase recycling levels and tighten rules on incineration and landfill.

The whole industry requires better regulation and greater flexibility which will allow for ease of reuse and recycling. This can lead to increased employment opportunities is repair and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment leading to reduced levels of recycling.

If you would like more information or need to arrange a personal, residential or business recycling collection for old, damaged or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) please call 01-4578321 or email visit http://www.recycleit.ie

Team Dublin Clean Up 2016

Dublin City Clean Up – Join the team!

Spring is on it way and so is Easter and to ensure our capital city looks great, the biggest community clean up event ever undertaken in Dublin City is taking shape. Dublin City Council are aiming to invite up to 10,000 volunteers to take part in clean up events across all areas of Dublin City for 2 hours on Easter Saturday, 26th March 2016.

Recycle IT Supporting Team Dublin Cleanup

The Team Dublin Clean-Up is based on the many small community clean ups and adopt the Street schemes across the City and inspired by the success of a similar Team Limerick Clean-Up Event in 2015.

Get involved 

It is also based on the premise that a clean Dublin is a Dublin to be proud of and is in fact, a shared responsibility of us all so we are  inviting members of the public, businesses etc. to join  the TEAM DUBLIN CLEAN -UP 2016 on Easter Saturday to help us make Dublin a litter free City.

Recycle IT Supporting Team Dublin Cleanup 2016

Free collection of waste WEEE

If your residents association or community group need to have old or once loved electrical or electronic items and batteries collected in the weeks leading up to Dublin City Clean Up on March 26th please let us know and we can schedule a WEEE collection.  The earlier you book the greater the chance of the Recycle IT Team visiting your area so call 01-4578321 or click here to email our team now!

Please see the Dublin City Council General Information and FAQ’s for more details.  Remember to read our Health and Safety Guidelines before you Register.

17 Business Actions: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle

Reduce, Reuse and Recycling in the Workplace

It doesn’t matter if you are a large or small organisation, reduction of waste and reuse of materials are the first steps in demonstrating you are environmentally aware, keen to help reduce waste and contribute positively towards climate change. Enthusiasm is the key and helps with implementing a simple, workable and worthwhile environmental policy.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Bins

Eco-friendly behavior

Recycling is an easy and effective way to encourage eco-friendly behavior while allowing you contribute towards a positive impact on climate across the world or  “Your Global Market Place” We can all do our part for our earth every day by simply recycling bottles, metal, paper, electronics and other waste products.

Although recycling is important, it’s only one part of the three R’s. Recycling is sometimes considered the easier choice as its similar to throwing something away. Its not much different to putting the item in a different bin or making a call to arrange a collection of an old PC or printer. However, there are many opportunities in a day for reducing or reusing what you think are waste materials.

17 ideas include

1. Ask employees to make double-sided copies when using a copier.
2. Composts paper towel waste from all toilet facilities across the organisation.
3. Composts all kitchen waste from canteens, dining rooms, cafes, or coffee docks
4. Eliminated food trays to help reduce food waste.
5. Install microwaves so people can reuse food cooked at home.
6. Share unused food from staff canteens or cafes with local food banks.
7. Replace all bottled water with inline water filters to allow refilling.
8. Reuse and recycle surplus furniture by partnering with charity shops and reuse centres.
9. Pre-sort solid waste generated in your organisation e.g. cans, glass, paper, cardboard, plastic bags, batteries, smart phone batteries, smartphones, and fluorescent lights etc.
10. Collect and recycle vehicle waste including lubricants, antifreeze, oil filters, tires, and batteries.
11. Recycle electronics equipment from your business by simply emailing info@recycleit.ie
12. Personal electronics waste can be recycled through a Recycle IT WEEE to Work collection day.
13. Collect kitchen grease and convert it to electricity and hot water e.g. Vegawatt generator system.
14. Ask employees to make double-sided copies when printing reports or presentation or just don’t print reports or presentations, use power-point.
15. Send emails or use electronic document sharing tools rather than printing.
16. Reuse cardboard delivery boxes in which reports, flyers, paper etc. arrive in.
17. Buy reusable or recycled products before considering other purchases.

Recycle IT – e-Waste from Business

We suggest that organisations across Ireland adopted a Zero Waste Policy which would include creating a cross functional team to include staff and management, volunteers or students to develop a plan for reducing and diverting 100% of the waste stream.

Business organizations large and small, schools, colleges and community groups purchase a great deal of product and services each year for operational purposes.  Before purchasing all stakeholders should try to consider an item’s cost, how quickly the product will need to be replaced and whether it can be reused, re-purposed and recycled. Cheaper products may seem attractive but are not always the best environmental, financial or lasting solution.

We hope this post will get you thinking and acting in a different way and if you need to recycle electrical, electronic or metal equipment please call the Recycle IT team on 01 4578321. We are happy to help.

14 Green Tips for 2016

2016 green greetings

The end of 2015, no doubt has created endless or what seems like endless waste. From wrapping paper, cards, food waste, electronic packaging, waste batteries and of course damaged lights and the Christmas tree.

Speaking of trees, did you know, one tree is needed to make about 3,000 cards. We didn’t, but we do know most greeting cards end up in the bins, so please make sure it’s the paper recycling bin!

Recycled IT Christmas Lights

In 2013 Repak suggested that over the Christmas period, Irish households would consume over 5 million boxes of chocolates, 22 million bottles of wine and drink more than 48 million bottles of beer. What will the figure be this year as people have a bit more to spend? We bet it will be higher and therefore more waste and recycling will be generated as a result.

We have 14 tips to help start staying green in 2016 

1. Buy LED  lights in the post Christmas sales (save energy next year)
2. Have rechargeable batteries on hand to use for those gadgets and toys.
3. Think reusable around the house including cooking trays and dishware.
4. Deliver all 2016 presents in eco-friendly or recycled wrapping paper.
5. Send e- cards around the world all year round.
6. Make a conscious effort to reduce junk mail e.g. clothes and toy catalogs.
7. Recycle old electronics such as laptops computers, tablets, mobile phones and cables.
8. Take reusable bags shopping.
9. Save and reuse wine and gift bags.
10. Practice “pre-cycling” by taking recycling or reuse into consideration when you buy. e.g. buy refills or gifts with only a little packaging.
11. Metal tins can be reused or recycled.
12. Fruit and veg peelings make a great ingredient for the composting bin.
13. Unplug all electrical appliances when your finish using to save energy.
14. Take your real Christmas tree for recycling.

Recycling Christmas Trees

In Dublin there are Christmas Tree recycling services for residents in most areas so there is no need to put the tree in the bin or on the kerbside to waste away!

• For more detail of the services in South Dublin please visit the South Dublin County Council website
• Dublin City Council has made similar tree recycling arrangements over the years at 11 locations in Dublin City 
• Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will have Christmas Tree recycling available to residents at the locations listed here
• Fingal County Council will offer a Christmas Tree recycling service at the locations listed here

Remember to recycle all you can this Year and if you have electrical or electronic items please call Recycle IT on 014578321 and we will happily arrange a collection.

Happy 2016

Recycling helps with Climate Change

Learn what you can do!

Recycling allows materials to be reused, re-purposed or recycled again and again.  This helps in conserving wildlife habitats, avoid pollution and save energy.

Waste sent to landfill sites costs Irish tax payers millions of euros every year, much of which could be saved by recycling.  It also produces emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change and after recent weather events we can all see the effects of the change first hand.

Climate Change is Here

Meeting emissions target is going to be very tough for Ireland. In 2012 the EPA estimated Ireland will exceed its allocated limit by 2017. Ireland’s apparent inability to meet its obligations for emissions reduction is due to our transport and agriculture sectors but immediate help is available simply by recycling items around your house, school, warehouse, store or office.

In Dublin, the local authorities work in partnership with Recycle IT to offer kerbside collection of electrical and electronic waste from householder and business. This is usually an annual service across suburbs in Dublin and helps you dispose of large and small electrical appliances.

The collections are held on a specific week for each suburb. You will be notified of your collection week with a flyer delivered to your property up to one week before the collection starts in your suburb.

Electrical Waste Collections by Recycle IT

You can also receive free reminders before your kerbside collection by contacting us via our website request a collection service or register on our blog page for free to keep up to date with all news and events.

You can also ensure the item you have are accepted as part of collection service by emailing us directly.

Some guidelines

When putting out items for collection remember:

• to keep the piles tidy inside you garden, or on the kerb so the footpath or roadway is kept clear
• If you think an unofficial collection are taking place, call us and we will arrange a collection from your door
• move items to the ground floor to allow for speedy collection
• let us know if items cant’t be easily and safely lifted by two people, we can help
• notify us advance if items need to move out from your home
• do not leave sharp or dangerous objects
• items should be secured if severe weather is expected

Recycle IT are collecting in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 starting early New Year 2016. Give us a call on 01 4578321 from Monday January 4th to learn more about when we will visit your street or estate to collect any unwanted electrical items and remember you are helping the environment by simply recycling.

To find out about other items which might be suitable for reuse, re-purposing or recycling please click here.

Free Christmas Gift Bowls – Enter Now!

Washing Machine Gift Bowls for Christmas

Recycle IT are reusing glass bowls from washing machine doors to share some Christmas joy! Don’t these candy filled bowls look great. If you agree, you could have one for Christmas?

Christmas Gift Bowls

We think they look really festive and are ideal for sharing gifts while also helping the environment through reuse and re-purposing washing machine doors as bowls. With that in mind we have ten bowls to give away before December 18th 2015.

Reused Bowls of Christmas Joy!

What to do! 

All you need to do is LIKE our ‪Facebook‬ page, Then find this post on Facebook and share it . Finally email your contact details to info@recycleit.ie to register. The first ten people to make contact will receive  an empty bowl on or before Dec 18th to fill with your special gift. The bowls can be collected from us in Clondalkin.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is the only Community Electronic Recycling Social Enterprise in Dublin and surrounding area providing a neighbourhood kerbside collection service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment as well as a residential drop off service.

Recycle IT (formally Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative) started in 2002 with a collection service added in 2007. During 2014 we worked with approx. 100,000 homes across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE (including 2,900 TVs and over 700 dishwashers). Our services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and with the cooperation of South Dublin County Council. We are authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and South Dublin County Council. We provide training and employment opportunity through delivery of our community recycling service.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2016

European Week for Waste Reduction

A Week in Winter

With Christmas fast approaching, we are reminding householders of some of the ways they can reduce waste and save money in the process.

The week starting November 21st 2015 is European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), a European-wide project aimed at promoting sustainable waste reduction actions in Member States. This year’s theme has as  focus on the most commonly wasted foods, including cheaper bread, pasta and rice. Its worth noting the reduction of all waste will help our planets environment and promote environment awareness.

The initiative aims to promote the implementation of awareness-raising actions about sustainable resource and waste management during a single week. It also aims to encourage a wide range of audiences including public authorities, private companies, civil society and you, the citizens to get involved.

What are the weeks objectives?

• to raise awareness about waste reduction.
• to highlight the work accomplished by participants during the week.
• to encourage European citizens to concentrate on four key action themes.
• to reinforce all stakeholders’ capacities by providing communication tools and training.
• to assess the impact of communication actions on concrete behavior. change regarding consumption and waste management patterns.

Learning more..

To learn more about getting involved or how to reduce your waste visit the European Week for Waste Reduction website

If you need help with recycling items with a plug or battery contact, Recycle IT 

Call Recycle IT on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

15 Metal Recycling Facts

WOW! Community Metal Recycling

Metal is just one of many materials we use daily in our lives and its really worth recycling when it has served its purpose. The type of objects that can be recycled  include aluminum and steel cans, electrical appliances, silverware, office desks and chairs, old household pot and pans, school lockers. safety boots or zippers, the list is endless.

We recently learned that recycling one aluminum can, saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours and if that’s not enough, the amount of  aluminum thrown away annually in the U.S. would rebuild their commercial air fleet four times per year. These are interesting facts which we hope will encourage you to think about metal as a scare resource and not just scrap. Without metal to manufacture, our daily trips to school by car or bus or our annual holidays by train, ferry or plane might not be as easy or affordable.

Electrical and Metal Recycling

With that in mind we have complied 15  facts about recycling metal which you might find interesting.

1. Metal recycling is good for the national economy and the environment e.g. increased local employment and reduced emissions.
2. Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1,136 kg of iron ore, 454 kg of coal and 18 kg of limestone
3. You can test which metal is in your bin is by using a magnet. Aluminium metal is non-magnetic whereas steel is magnetic. (Great learning for kids)
4. Drinks cans are generally made from aluminium while food cans are usually made from steel.
5. Metal recycling helps recreated new product once the original items has reached the end of its useful life.
6. Recycling scrap metals including iron and aluminum can be benefit local construction project such as roads and bridges.
7. Scrap metals are refashioned for use in creating bikes, cars, aircraft and other modes of transportation.
8. Scrap metals aids in storage and transportation of goods across the world with many shipping containers created from recycled metal.
9. Reusing scrap metal has supported many industries to reduce their environment impact e.g. reduced mining of natural and scare resources.
10. Recycled aluminum can be melted at a much lower temperature than new aluminum therefore saving on energy.
11. Scrap metal recycling helps reduce Co2 emissions created through mining, transport and smelting.
12. Recycled, reused or re-purposed metals can be used to make beautiful and durable home furnishing and decorations. Think about the festive season!
13. Recycling scrap metal reduces the need for landfills sites and leads to a positive effect on water supply, soil and land usage.
14. Aluminium is made from an mined ore called Bauxite, which is converted into alumina, a fine white powder. This powder is then smelted at over 700°C, to become aluminium. The process is expensive and uses lots of resources including energy and fuel.
15. The aluminium used in packaging is much more difficult to collect, since it is very light. It is discarded in every home, school, office, pub and restaurant without a thought so remember light metal e.g. kitchen foil.

Recycled Metal Washing Machine Drum – Recycle IT

Finally, did you know manufacturing recycled metal items requires an estimated 17 times less energy than manufacturing the same items from newly mined metal. Keep this in mind when replacing  washing machines, cookers, ovens or hobs. They all contain metal which can be recycled. Recycle IT breakdown and recycle large household appliances daily. These include washing machines, dash washers and tumble dryers . Click here to view our gallery.

To learn more about recycling your once loved items give Recycle IT a call on 01 4578321. or visit our website

Recycle IT – Electrical Recycling

Recycle IT – Recycling Electrical and Electronics since 2002.

Recycle IT was established in 2002 as Clondalkin Community Recycle Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to provide employment opportunities and encourage actual electrical and electronic recycling in homes, communities and organisations.

Over a 15 year period and our social enterprise has developed into a well-known and trusted community recycling business employing 19 people. We collect on average 400 televisions per month as well as washing machines, dishwashers, computers, laptops, monitors, phones and electronic toys, really any item with a plug or battery.

Recycle IT – Breakdown of Electronic Equipment

WEEE Ireland

Recycle IT works in partnership with the WEEE Ireland Compliance Scheme which is 12 years in existence. We have been working with WEEE Ireland since 2005 to support and encourage increased electrical recycling through our collection and drop off services. Recycle IT will accept all your once loved and used electronic and electrical equipment. Nothing is too large or small and we are at our happiest when we are helping you recycle.

Community Collections

Our community collection team engage regularly with County Council officials across Dublin to establish and implement a public outreach plan to encourage community participation in collection days and pre-planned recycling events. We actively engage local residents’ groups, schools, community organisations and business in solving electrical or e-waste challenges. You can create space and reduce clutter in your home, office or school by simply giving our team a call. The extra benefits include reducing negative environmental impacts and supporting training and employment positions within our organisation.

Electrical Recycling at Work – Collection by Recycle IT

We find residents collection days are great way to get adults and children involved in worthwhile recycling activities within their communities. Recycle IT can provide residents’ associations with flyers, collection cards and our trained personnel will actively assist you with our door to door electrical recycling collection events so do get in touch to arrange your collection day.

Cost Effective Collections 

Recycle IT offer a, cost-effective personal and business collection service which help customers with a pending need to recycling. We can breakdown and destroy electrical, electronic, and metal equipment upon request.

Collection services are offered across Dublin and surrounding areas with dedicated teams visiting your location to help you recycle your old and once loved equipment. We can help with moving equipment once information about your site is provided.

Recycle IT – Equipment Removal Service

If you need server racking and computer equipment disassembled and removed from your site, we can help. Once electronic equipment is disconnected from power sources our team can save you time and other resources.

So if you have household, office or  commercial equipment let us know and we can work with you to arrange a solution to meet your needs.

Please do request more information from Recycle IT about our recycling service on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

Visit our Get in Touch page to request a call back.