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An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD has launched Ireland’s first
ever co-ordinated public battery collection and recycling
scheme at the Bridge Centre in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
The scheme, which is being piloted throughout Tullamore for
3 months, is an initiative of the national compliance scheme
for electronic recycling - WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment) Ireland - and local company, KMK Metals Recycling,
with the support of Tullamore Town Council and the Tullamore
Chamber of Commerce.
Over one hundred deposit boxes have been placed in retail
outlets throughout the town to allow members of the public
to dispose of any depleted batteries for safe collection and
recycling. All kinds of batteries from consumer products can
be placed in the deposit boxes - including alkaline batteries,
batteries from old mobile phones or laptops and lithium batteries
from watches and clocks.
Information wallets with deposit bags are being issued to
12,000 homes in and around Tullamore, encouraging householders
to collect and bring old batteries to local deposit boxes
located around the town. Public information notices are also
being displayed throughout the town in shops, restaurants
and all public amenity venues. Local primary schools and Tullamore
Public Library have also been enrolled in the collection effort,
with special deposit boxes being installed for the duration
of the scheme.
WEEE Ireland expects to roll-out a nationwide battery collection
and recycling scheme in the autumn.
It is estimated that Irish consumers use several million
alkaline batteries each year – nearly all of which have traditionally
been sent to landfill via the rubbish bin. In addition,
there are an estimated 2 million broken mobile phone handset
batteries discarded annually.
Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen said -
”I am delighted to be involved with this recycling initiative
with WEEE Ireland here in Tullamore. Irish people have taken
to recycling in a very positive way. Our Government is committed
to introducing more recycling policies and this initiative
helps everyone to move in that direction."
“Batteries are one of the few product lines which, traditionally,
have slipped through the recycling net. With this initiative
and the involvement of KMK Metals Recycling locally, we are
confident that the people of Tullamore will set the example
for the entire country by actively bringing old batteries
to local retail outlets which have deposit boxes” - said Leo
Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland, who also welcomed the involvement
of the Tullamore Town Council and Chamber of Commerce in supporting
the initiative.
For more information on WEEE Ireland - Click
Here
For more information on KMK Metals Recycling - Click
Here
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