Clontarf Bike Week 2022 – Recycling for Reuse!

As a follow-up to bike week, 2022 Clontarf Residents Association have arranged a bike recycling event on Sunday, May 29th at the car park, The Red Stables, St Anne’s Park, Dublin 3.

If bike week has inspired you to buy a new bike or if you have recently replaced your kid’s bike and still have the bikes your children have outgrown, this is an excellent opportunity to recycle for reuse.

_{The Bike Hub}

All types of bikes can be dropped off and Clontarf Residents Association has arranged for them to be refurbished and donated thanks to Bike Hub or safely recycled thanks to Recycle IT

The event will take place on Sunday 29th, May 2022, between 10am to 2pm with members of the Clontarf Residents Association on hand to help on the day. Please do avail of this opportunity and share the news of this event with others in your family and your social network.

_{Old Bike for Recycling at Recycle IT}

Some Irish cycling facts

Cycling Ireland has welcomed research that found an unprecedented number of adults are cycling every week. The latest figures show an estimated 510,000 people within the Republic of Ireland are enjoying cycling as a form of exercise, participating at least once per week – May 2020.

15% of respondents to the National Travel Survey 2019 choose to take a journey by bicycle.

By far the most common reason why respondents cycle was for, enjoyment of cycling (55.7%), followed by keeping fit/exercise (49%). Greater freedom was cited by 17.6% of persons who choose to cycle, while one in six (16.5%) felt that it was a convenient mode of transport.

When asked what factors would encourage them to cycle more in the future, respondents said safer cycling routes (31.7%), followed by better health (20.5%) and more cycling-specific routes (17.3%). 

_{Dublin Bikes – Dublin City Council}

A total of 6,845 bikes were recorded as stolen in the period between January 2020 up to April 23 of this year, in 6,477 theft incidents.

Sources: Cycling Ireland, the CSO as part of the National Travel Survey 2019 and An Garda Síochána

Don’t forget, Sunday, May 29th – Bike Resue, and Recycling takes place between 10am and 2pm @ the car park of the Red Stables, St Anne’s Park, Dublin 3.

About Clontarf Residents’ Association

Since 1971 the Clontarf Residents’ Association has been advocating on behalf of the residents of Clontarf. The running of the Association and campaigns such as the opportunity to recycle bikes are funded through a membership subscription.

About Bike Hub

Bike Hub is a social enterprise running a community bike shop in Dun Laoghaire in partnership with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cycling Without Age and DLR Sports Partnership. The aim of Bike Hub is to help make cycling accessible to as many people as possible in the local community.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling services through drop off and collection. Recycling services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and South Dublin County Council. Recycle IT’s goal is to create training and employment opportunities through the provision of waste management services. Surplus earned income is reinvested in operational, and employment-related costs.

_{Event Supported by}

Gaming Consoles – Repair, Reuse, Recycle

A games console is a computer device used to play video or virtual games, on a screen. Some connect to a TV or monitor. Other devices are portable and handheld with screens.

Research says revenue in the Irish games consoles market will amount to approx. $124.80m in 2022. The market is expected to grow annually by 1.66% between 2022-2026. (Source: Statista) In April 2022 We PC reported, that the PlayStation 2 was the best-selling console of all time with 157.68 million units sold.

Playstation reported in 2021 that gamers have spent more than 4.6 billion hours of gameplay on the PS5 since it was released.

As of 2021, there have been nine console generations, with the current leading providers being Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo with the Xbox and Playstation and Nintendo Switch used to play games like FIFA 22, Farming Simulator 22 and Minecraft. You can also watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus on your games console.

_{Games Console, Controllers and Games – Recycle IT}

Games are either downloaded directly onto the device via the internet online store or inserted into the device as a disc or card.

Many games consoles and games are aimed at children There is no official or recommended age for a child to have or use a games console. Video games are given age ratings similar to movies.

In general, using a games console with your children is fun. Adults can refamiliarise themselves with gaming, how new games work and how children are likely to use them. This can be a great way to show responsible and positive use of technology and show your child you are interested in what they do!

Reuse and Repair

After many years of fun, your games console may need to be updated with new software or hardware (if possible) or if damaged it can be repaired for reuse. There are a number of repair options available and they should be considered before saying goodbye to your console.

Saying goodbye isn’t always easy. After all, you likely spent many in-game hours together playing a starring role for your favourite sports team. Your console has likely brought you, family and friends, many moments of joy and frustration.

However, the time will come to move on to a new console. With new console releases never far away you might consider a replacement. But before you do that, there are some important things that you need to do to stay cyber safe (and keep your information and payment details safe).

Here are some steps to take before you sell, donate, or recycle your old console:

_{Games Console and Controller}

Today many consoles are backwards compatible. This means that some, or most of the games from your old consoles should work with the new device To save your old games you can back your data up by:

• Saving your data to an external hard drive.
• Transferring your data from the old console to the new console by linking via a network.
• Saving your data to a cloud service for your system.

Your gaming console can have personal information stored. Anything from email addresses to multiple credit card numbers to social media and cloud streaming accounts. If in the wrong hands this can cause you lots of problems.

You can remove all your accounts from your console. In the setting menu, you can usually delete your credit card information, email addresses, social media links, or linked accounts. For purchased apps, you can sign out and manage your account information in your app settings.

A further option involves resetting the console back to when you first removed it from the box as new. Doing this reset will also make all of the information that was saved inaccessible through the user interface. You can usually do a reset in the setting menu.

Safe Recycling

Now that you have backed up your files and reset your console back to factory settings you may wish to dispose of the device in the waste or recycling bin. Please Don’t

Proper disposal including disposal of cables and chargers is important particularly if you didn’t try the above. Remember is also bad for the environment if you don’t recycle carefully

_{Games Console}

Try the following

• Reuse your console by gifting it to someone you know.
• Donate your console to a local youth or community organisation,
• Resell your device after wiping or destroying the hard disk drive / returning to factory settings.
• Recycle your console instead of throwing it into the bin.
• Recycle your console cables and related equipment at the same time!

Because electronics contain many damaging chemicals and reusable parts you should recycle safely at a dedicated e-recycling centre like Recycle IT. If you can’t or don’t wish to wipe the hard disk drive within the console before recycling, Recycle IT can help.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling services through drop off and collection. Recycling services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Recycle IT is supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across the east midlands waste region.

Our goal is to create training and employment opportunities through the provision of waste management services. Surplus earned income is reinvested in operational, and employment-related costs.

For more information on Recycle IT please call 01 4578321, email info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie

_{Recycle IT Collection Van}

Electrical Repair Service Technicians

Repair before recycling!

Many electrical appliances are manufactured to a high standard with quality and durability in mind, but if you find that your electrical appliance is in need of repair you might consider using a repair service rather than replacing and recycling. Now you can as more service technicians get trained in Ireland.

Trained and qualified service technicians can repair appliances in your home and they are usually based locally around the country and ready to help within a few days of your call.

Some new appliances now have service issues determined or fixed without a technician visiting your home. Built-in technology allows remote diagnoses and a call can sort the issue out!

_{Recycle IT Training Course Centre Visit – Dunshaughlin, Co Meath}

Training circular economy repair technicians

Students from the new training course for repair technicians received the Ministerial seal of approval on Tuesday, Jan 25th 2022 when Junior Minister Ossian Smyth visited their training centre in Co Meath.

The new course launched in 2021 aims to train the next generation of repair technicians in an effort to encourage repair, reuse, longer life and prevent thousands of tonnes of electrical appliances, from becoming waste in the future.

_{Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State for Circular Economy visiting the Repair Technician Training Course, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.}

A number of electrical appliance industry stakeholders took action with WEEE Ireland, the White Goods Association and technical training agency Fastrack into IT (FIT) joined forces to create the new circular economy skills initiative course.

As part of the learning and information sharing process Recycle IT recently visited the students and learned about the training course and how everyone is progressing. On learning more about our work recycling old electrical appliances the students were eager to visit the Recycle IT. The visit to our recycling facility was arranged for April 2022. The team had an informative morning and asked questions about our operations and the many types of appliances received for safe recycling.

_{Trainee White Goods Field Service Technician at Recycle IT, Clondalkin, Dublin.}

Stakeholders

This Circular Economy project is operated by Louth and Meath Education and Training Board and is supported by a grant from the CIRCULÉIRE Innovation Fund. CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership created by Irish Manufacturing Research and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate-KIC with 25 Founding Industry Members including WEEE Ireland. It is free of charge for trainees and supported by a grant. The course runs over 26 weeks and is followed by a 12-week work placement.

Sharing knowledge, networking, building relationships as well as education, training and upskilling will help make the circular economy a reality in Ireland. Trained and skilled repair engineers can help ensure electrical appliances (as part of the circular economy) are used for longer, reused, and only reach recyclers such as Recycle IT after a very long and productive life.

_{Trainee Service Technician watching Electronic Equipment Breakdown at Recycle IT}

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling services through drop off and collection. Recycling services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Recycle IT is supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across the east midlands waste region.

Our goal is to create training and employment opportunities through the provision of waste management services. Surplus earned income is reinvested in operational, and employment-related costs.

For more information on Recycle IT please call 01 4578321, email info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie

_{Recycle IT Collection Van}

Free Resident’s Electrical Recycling Collections

Open for Enquiries

This summer Recycle IT want to, encourage residents groups, tidy town groups, householders, families, and friends to act and recycle any old, unwanted or unused electrical stuff from around the house. This includes kettles, cookers, TVs, washing machines, games consoles, batteries, phones, computers, metals, and electronic toys; the list really is endless.

_{Recycle IT Truck}

Recycle IT work in partnership with Residents Groups across Dublin. Our teams can collect all types of household and small office waste electrical, electronic and pure metal equipment from residents. The collection is door to door, free and our teams collect weekly Monday to Friday.

Presenting Your Recycling for Collection

Once local residents know a collection is scheduled people can easily assemble old electrical, electronic and metal equipment and have it out and ready and out for collection by 9am on collection day. If people need help please do lend a hand to get their items out for colleciton or let our team know in advance?

Items for collection can be placed at the front of your home within reach of the pavement (e.g., in your drive) but not on the pavement so as to block access.

Your electrical waste should not be placed in refuse sacks or covered. Please ensure electrical and metal waste items are easily accessible. If items are hidden behind a locked gate or a parked car, we may not be able to see or collect your items. Our teams will accept electrical and metal waste at no cost once used in your home or small office.

You can click here for a list of items collected (PDF Files for electrical and metal items)

_{Mixed Electrical Appliances for Recycling – Recycle IT}

In the case of unforeseen circumstances such as poor weather conditions, vehicle breakdowns, roadworks or other incidents, we may be delayed, but we will do our best to keep groups updated and we will work to catch up throughout the day.

On request, we can enter homes at ground floor level only. Residents should remain a safe distance from our team. It is preferable if items for recycling are outside

Working Together

Our authorised WEEE collections are offered in association with Residents’ Associations. Each group helps by providing details on the numbers of homes in the area, names of roads, and promotion of the event to householders through social media, email, leaflets newsletter etc. Recycle IT can provide further information on request.

Please note: Today our resident collections are provided free of charge to Residents’ Associations in South Dublin, Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

_{Old Washing Machine for Recycling}

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT an award-winning community recycler wishes to build on Ireland’s recycling success story and help increase the 10.9 KG of waste electrical and electronic equipment collected yearly per inhabitant in Ireland. (recorded in 2017)

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 team will accept old household electrical items, and office electrical items alongside your garden power tools and pure metal equipment. We can also accept commercial appliances but do call in advance.

Recycle IT as a social enterprise works in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT is supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office. Recycle IT are an active member of Community Resources Network Ireland (CRNI).

To learn more about recycling electrical equipment please call Recycle IT on 01 4578321, email us or visit www.recycleit.ie

46 Summer Tips – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Summer Tips!

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 have increased the demand for convenience products.

Convenience products have helped us undervalue reuse in favour 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. Reuse is preferable!

If you can reuse an item yourself, it can help save money, save time, and the environment. Reuse helps reduce CO2 emissions and the mining of new 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 may be reused to match your needs. Reuse will truly find a new life for items around your home or workplace.

_{Metal Reuse Bin @ Recycle IT}

Just to say if you are out and about in Dublin over the summer you will see that Bright Yellow Bins have appeared on busy streets such as Grafton Street, South King Street, Henry Street and Mary Street. They’re separate from the general waste bins, and clearly marked for plastic bottles and cans. Dozens of the bins have been installed with plans for more over the summer months.

We created some reuse tips for summer and we have now updated the list for summer 2022 – Have a read and see what you can do, share with others and do involve any kids in your life.

46 Tips 

1. Create reusable lunch boxes or storage containers from large plastic ice cream tubs.
2. Use metal knives, forks, and spoons for your next outdoor event 
3. If you have plastic knives, forks, and spoons wash, store and reuse them at your next summer event.
4. Reuse a 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.
5. Harvest seeds from fruit and vegetables and try to grow them!
6. 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.
7. Turn toilet rolls or paper towel tubes into playthings for children or nesting materials for your small pets.
8. Have a go at egg carton crafts – family fun! 
9. Store printed pictures and photos in poly pockets to reduce the ageing effects of humidity, dampness and light.
10. Use old wine corks to create a floating key ring; your keys won’t sink while at the pool, beach or lake.
11. Use 2-litre plastic bottles to create bird feeders.
12. Used cold bacon fat in a tuna or cat food can feed your feathered friends, just hang it from a tree or fence post in the garden.
13. Put old newspaper under a tablecloth to offer protection against spills.
14. Place an open jar or bowl of dried, used coffee grounds in your refrigerator or freezer to neutralize odours.
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 with reused, 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 cards into eco-friendly packing material for presents or parcels.
20. As kids outgrow colouring 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, toolboxes, sewing kits or cake holders.
22. Collect old soap ends into 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 to make super cool shorts for summer.
28. Use banana peels to shine your shoes. Rub the inside of the peel on the shoes, then shine with a soft cloth.
29. Turn bread heals into breadcrumbs once dried out. Just blitz.
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 woollen 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 a 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.
40. Bring old sheets/pillowcases back to life by removing yellow stains – add baking soda to your wash!
41. Reuse water from washing and/or cooking vegetables to water plants internally and externally. 
42. Reuse a spray bottle to mix 50% distilled vinegar (white) and 50% tap water for a simple window cleaner. (For very grimy glass, prewash with soapy water).
43. Clean your window with the old Sunday newspapers (instead of paper towels).
44. Reuse and use more by sharing and borrowing seasonal garden tools and cutting equipment.
45. Reuse as something else – shred old paper/cardboard for use as animal bedding. 
46. Recycle old metal from around the house, shed, warehouse or office, it will be used to make something new – try hard as the world metal recycling rate today is just above 50% – can be better!

Outdoor Reuse of Space

Waste is a treasure! 

We all know one person’s waste is another person’s treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted tools, clothes, furniture or electrical appliances, try reuse with friends or donating them can reduce waste and help others save money.

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

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT, is an award-winning social enterprise offering electrical, electronic and metal recycling services through drop off and collection. Recycling services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Recycle IT is supported by Pobal and Dormant Accounts and authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across the east midlands waste region.

Our goal is to create training and employment opportunities through the provision of waste management services. Surplus earned income is reinvested in operational, and employment-related costs.

For more information on Recycle IT please call 01 4578321, email info@recycleit.ie or visit our website www.recycleit.ie

_{Bikes for Metal Reuse – Recycle IT}