Concern raised over unsafe dumping of electrical items

LONDON: One in eight people in Ireland continues to dump small electrical items in household bins, research shows.The rate for the improper disposal of the products, which has serious environmental and public health risks, almost doubles among younger age groups.

One in four 18 to 24-year-olds and one in five aged 35-44 get rid of common household electrical items such as smart watches, earbuds and bluetooth speakers in general waste bins.Laptops, mobile phones, gaming devices, power tools and e-cigarettes are also being tossed in alongside other waste, meaning they can never be re-used or recycled, the Empathy Research data for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland reveals.

The proliferation of products powered by lithium batteries heightens these dangers, increasing fire safety risks for household waste collection firms.In the past five years, WEEE Ireland reported a 100 per cent increase in lithium battery-powered small electricals coming back for recycling.

WEEE Ireland chief executive Leo Donovan said: “For those that recycle their e-waste, our survey shows 75 per cent do so due to its positive impact on the environment, with over 50 per cent citing concerns over the hazardous components present in some of these devices.

“Despite this awareness, a significant number still opt to dispose of their waste electricals improperly, particularly when it involves smaller devices.“Ireland’s impressive record for recycling larger household electrics needs to be matched when it comes to small electricals to ensure the safe and efficient recovery and reuse of materials they contain.“Recycling these items is both free and straightforward as they can be dropped off at numerous, authorised recycling centres and public collection days across Ireland.”