WEEE IRELAND Turns Waste Into Watts!
By Jessie Nolan
The other day, when my usual Thursday afternoon science class was interrupted by the arrival of a guest speaker, I was more than grateful for the distraction from an hour's work. I was even more interested, however, when I heard that the speaker was from WEEE Ireland; a huge recycling and waste management company that, like all of us here at Green 'Zine, strives to combat environmental issues such as climate change.
The name of the company - WEEE - when said aloud may sound vulgar to the imaginative (or immature) mind, but in actual fact the initials WEEE stand for Waste Electrical and Electric Equpiment. Basically the company is in charge of recycling electrical waste, such as batteries and computers, from all over the country.
When the speaker came in to give his talk, everyone in the class settled down for a good doze or a quiet gossip, while this man droned on about things not half as important as talk of boys or weekend plans. But I, being the eco-geek that I am, sat bolt upright with my pen and notebook, listening intently and taking notes.
WEEE Ireland is a not for profit organisation, which organises treatment and recycling of all waste electronic equipment. From fridges to batteries to computers... even electric toothbrushes! You name it, if it's electrical, WEEE Ireland recycles it. And they really go the whole way to recycle every last bit of the waste they collect. They let absolutely nothing go to waste. Take a battery, for example. When a battery is thrown in the bin, it is dumped in a huge landfill site with all of the other rubbish. As if the damage these sites are causing our earth is not enough, that battery will cause further local damage. When it rains, the battery will split open. The acid will leak out, damaging the soil and water supply of the area, and poisoning much of the wildlife. However, in the WEEE recycling plant they strip away the outside metal layer and re-use it. They take the metal connecting parts at either end and re-use them. They drain out the battery acid and re-use it. There is no part of a battery that they will just throw away, and the same goes for any piece of electrical waste they recieve. Also, a lot of the separating of waste substances in the plant is done manually, in order to save the environment. Talk about eco-friendly!
Did you know that the price you pay when you buy an electrical product already includes the price of recycling it? So when you are finished with an old product, bring it back to the shop where you bought it, and they will send it off to be recycled!
As well as recycling waste electrical equipment, WEEE Ireland is really trying to raise awareness about the issue of electrical waste, and they are trying to get as much recyclable waste donated as possible. In order to do this, they are sending guest speakers to schools and businesses (like the man who inspired this article!), they run a free recycling service for old batteries etc. and they are distributing temporary electrical recycling bins to various places all over Ireland. One such bin will be coming to our school in a number of weeks, and it is a great way for WEEE Ireland to collect and encourage electrical waste recycling. A large blue bin will be placed on the school premises for one week, and every student is invited to use it to discard of any electrical waste in their homes. Any form of electrical waste is accepted, and it is a handy way for people to dispose of it. If one bin becomes full, WEEE Ireland will happily provide as many bins as is needed, and all will be collected free of charge at the end of the week.
WEEE Ireland is also running a campaign in schools to encourage schoolchildren to recycle their electrical waste, and promote the idea in their communities. A number of small blue boxes are given to the school, and the pupils are asked to distribute these "recycling bins" to businesses and clubs in the local area. The students must take note of who they gave it to, and how many customers/members attend each place. When this information is filled out in a questionnaire provided by WEEE Ireland, the school will be sent a free computer, which was produced in the WEEE recycling plant out of re-used electrical materials. It is a win/win situation; we are helping the environment AND we get a free computer! To take part contact WEEE Ireland (details below). This company does such great work to help the environment, and I hope you will take part and help them as much as you can... I know I will!
WEEE Ireland
ph: (01) 299 9320
email: info@weeeireland.ie
The name of the company - WEEE - when said aloud may sound vulgar to the imaginative (or immature) mind, but in actual fact the initials WEEE stand for Waste Electrical and Electric Equpiment. Basically the company is in charge of recycling electrical waste, such as batteries and computers, from all over the country.
When the speaker came in to give his talk, everyone in the class settled down for a good doze or a quiet gossip, while this man droned on about things not half as important as talk of boys or weekend plans. But I, being the eco-geek that I am, sat bolt upright with my pen and notebook, listening intently and taking notes.
WEEE Ireland is a not for profit organisation, which organises treatment and recycling of all waste electronic equipment. From fridges to batteries to computers... even electric toothbrushes! You name it, if it's electrical, WEEE Ireland recycles it. And they really go the whole way to recycle every last bit of the waste they collect. They let absolutely nothing go to waste. Take a battery, for example. When a battery is thrown in the bin, it is dumped in a huge landfill site with all of the other rubbish. As if the damage these sites are causing our earth is not enough, that battery will cause further local damage. When it rains, the battery will split open. The acid will leak out, damaging the soil and water supply of the area, and poisoning much of the wildlife. However, in the WEEE recycling plant they strip away the outside metal layer and re-use it. They take the metal connecting parts at either end and re-use them. They drain out the battery acid and re-use it. There is no part of a battery that they will just throw away, and the same goes for any piece of electrical waste they recieve. Also, a lot of the separating of waste substances in the plant is done manually, in order to save the environment. Talk about eco-friendly!
Did you know that the price you pay when you buy an electrical product already includes the price of recycling it? So when you are finished with an old product, bring it back to the shop where you bought it, and they will send it off to be recycled!
As well as recycling waste electrical equipment, WEEE Ireland is really trying to raise awareness about the issue of electrical waste, and they are trying to get as much recyclable waste donated as possible. In order to do this, they are sending guest speakers to schools and businesses (like the man who inspired this article!), they run a free recycling service for old batteries etc. and they are distributing temporary electrical recycling bins to various places all over Ireland. One such bin will be coming to our school in a number of weeks, and it is a great way for WEEE Ireland to collect and encourage electrical waste recycling. A large blue bin will be placed on the school premises for one week, and every student is invited to use it to discard of any electrical waste in their homes. Any form of electrical waste is accepted, and it is a handy way for people to dispose of it. If one bin becomes full, WEEE Ireland will happily provide as many bins as is needed, and all will be collected free of charge at the end of the week.
WEEE Ireland is also running a campaign in schools to encourage schoolchildren to recycle their electrical waste, and promote the idea in their communities. A number of small blue boxes are given to the school, and the pupils are asked to distribute these "recycling bins" to businesses and clubs in the local area. The students must take note of who they gave it to, and how many customers/members attend each place. When this information is filled out in a questionnaire provided by WEEE Ireland, the school will be sent a free computer, which was produced in the WEEE recycling plant out of re-used electrical materials. It is a win/win situation; we are helping the environment AND we get a free computer! To take part contact WEEE Ireland (details below). This company does such great work to help the environment, and I hope you will take part and help them as much as you can... I know I will!
WEEE Ireland
ph: (01) 299 9320
email: info@weeeireland.ie
