Just three in ten electrical devices bought in Kilkenny are recycled

Just three out of ten electrical devices bought in Kilkenny return to the circular economy, new data reveals.

The survey by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland comes as almost half of Ireland’s small electronics are bought in November and December.

Nationally, over 11 million small electronic items were bought last year, with 4.4 million sold during Black Friday and Christmas alone.

But recycling trends in Kilkenny show three in ten of these items won’t be recycled when they can no longer be repaired or reused.

The recycling rate is even worse for toys such as gaming consoles and battery-operated action figures, falling to just 10% nationally, leaving millions of devices lying in drawers or discarded irresponsibly.

With 73% of Irish consumers now shopping online, WEEE Ireland has urged Kilkenny residents to embrace sustainable habits by swapping old for new responsibly.

“Electronics are a top category in online purchases, particularly during high-sales periods like Black Friday and Christmas when cost-conscious consumers hunt for deals,” said Elizabeth O’Reilly, Head of Environmental Compliance at WEEE Ireland (pictured).

“However, recycling rates in Kilkenny for small devices remain low, particularly for online purchases, despite the availability of free take back services for recycling from the likes of Amazon.”