Irish homes contain an average of 15 to 20 electrical items which are broken or unused, according to a survey.
As a nation, Ireland is consuming more electrical goods than ever before.
Almost 60 million household electrical appliances, tech devices and lighting equipment were placed on the Irish market in 2020, with annual consumption rising from 15kg a head in 2016 to 21kg a head last year.
New EU data indicates that each person is responsible for an average of 5kg of hoarded electrical waste – meaning 15-20kg of old and broken appliances are waiting to be recycled from most households.
Families across Ireland are now being called on to recycle five end-of-life electrical items in a bid to improve recycling performance following the rise in consumption.
Smartphones are set to be high on the hitlist after EU data shows they are the most unused and hoarded electrical items lying around Irish homes.
The “Follow Your Lead” campaign aims to increase the supply of waste electrical recycling to local authority sites and retailer collection points to meet Ireland’s rising recycling targets.
WEEE Ireland (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) CEO Leo Donovan said: “When you add it up, 5kg equates to a kettle, a laptop that won’t power up, a smartphone beyond repair, an unplayable small gaming device and that kitchen blender in the back of the cupboard that hasn’t worked for years.
“To mark international e-waste day in October, we are challenging families to find at least five items and free up these valuable resources for use again in manufacturing, saving on the environmental impacts of raw material extraction.
“Being more resource efficient with e-waste though recycling is a simple yet sustainable way to support a more circular economy in Ireland.
“We are asking people to follow the leads and plugs to these defunct devices sitting in cupboards, attics, sheds, under beds and stairs, because the components and resources contained within this equipment could be put to better use.
“By turning this into a family challenge, everyone can have some fun while taking positive environmental action.”
