We’re being urged across Carlow and Kilkenny to recycle used batteries and unwanted small electrical goods.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland is making the plea after it revealed only half of household batteries sold on the Irish market are being recycled each year.
Instead it seems they’re being binned or stored.
Figures show that almost half of such battery purchases are made during the Christmas shopping period, yet recycling rates remain low.
The e-waste recycling scheme is delivering one million blue battery recycling boxes to homes this month to capture the valuable hoard of waste batteries in a bid to support a nationwide New Year clear-out.
They can be returned for free at participating retailers or local recycling centres.
“As space is made for new gifts, now is the ideal time to carry out a battery and e-waste clear-out,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.
“As well as providing a handy QR code that connects you to a map of hundreds of local drop off points, our blue battery boxes are a simple but powerful reminder that batteries should never go in household bins.
“Returning for recycling ensures the safe recovery and reuse of the materials they contain.”
When it comes to small electronic items, 2024 figures from WEEE Ireland show a similar trend, with 40 per cent of Ireland’s annual small electronic gift and toy purchases happening in the festive period.
But just 30 per cent of these are returned to the circular economy for recycling.
Recycling rates for electronic toys such as gaming consoles, e-scooters and battery-operated action figures are even lower, dropping to just 10 per cent, leaving millions of unused, broken or obsolete toys gathering dust in homes or discarded incorrectly in the household bin.
“Every home in Ireland can make a difference. Batteries don’t belong in the bin – they belong in recycling. When we dispose of them incorrectly, we risk fires and environmental pollution,” said Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Alan Dillon.
“This January, WEEE Ireland is delivering one million battery boxes to households. Let’s use them. Collect every old battery from toys, decorations, and devices, and return them to your local retailer or recycling centre.
“It’s free, safe, and it protects our environment. Together, we can keep dangerous chemicals out of landfill and rare materials in circulation. Let’s make 2026 about responsibility and care for each other.”
WEEE Ireland’s network of free collection points across local authority civic amenity centres and retailers is available at weeeireland.ie.
A new Light Means of Transport (LMT) lithium battery guide has also been added to the WEEE Ireland website to support consumers on the safe recycling of higher-capacity batteries such as those used in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mobility and power packs.
