In a bid to capture a valuable hoard of waste batteries, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland plans to deliver 1 million blue battery recycling boxes to homes nationwide during January to support a nationwide New Year clear-out.
As households replace old devices with new gifts received during Christmas, new figures from the e-waste recycling scheme show that almost half of all household battery purchases are made during the Christmas shopping period. People are now being urged to use January to recycle any used batteries and unwanted small electrical items, rather than storing them away or binning them.
New national data has revealed that only half of household batteries sold are making their way back for recycling each year. Waterford people, for instance, recycled the equivalent of 13 batteries per household last year, below the national average of 16.
“As people make space for new gifts received at Christmas we are asking people to plan an e-waste and battery 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.”
The blue boxes can be returned for free at participating retailers or local recycling centres.
LOW RECOVERY RATES
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 lying around in homes or discarded incorrectly in the household bin.
“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,” Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment & Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Alan Dillon TD.
“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.”
“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,” the minister said.
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 found in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mobility and power packs.
More information on WEEE Ireland’s network of free collection points across local authority civic amenity centres and retailers is available at weeeireland.ie
