From the gadgets we've outgrown to the stars we dream of…

ERP encourages Ireland to recycle on St Patrick’s Day

8 April 2025

This year, ERP Ireland, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a company, continued its Sustainability Partnership with St. Patrick’s Festival, which ran on 15 and 16 March in Dublin.

EcoTrashShip

In collaboration with artist group FORJA Works, ERP created a WEEE-inspired installation entitled EcoTrashShip that took festivalgoers on a mission to reduce e-waste on Earth while reaching for the stars!

Since 2005, when the WEEE Directive was launched in Ireland, ERP has collected almost 220,000 tonnes of WEEE and 4,500 tonnes of batteries – that’s 480 times the weight of the International Space Station!

Standing nearly five metres tall, the EcoTrashShip is composed of more than 100 electrical items, such as TVs, laptops, phones and cables, which are some of the most frequently recycled electrical items in Ireland.

Research

With research showing that 1 in 3 people are hoarding unused or broken electrical items in their homes, ERP encouraged everyone to Go Green and Boldly Recycle their electrical waste over the long St Patrick’s Day weekend.

The research, which was conducted by Coyne Research in January 2025, revealed that 1 in 5 (20%) people in Ireland had recycled TVs in the past 12 months, 1 in 6 (17%) had recycled mobile phones, and 1 in 8 (13%) had recycled laptops.

Closing words

James Burgess, Country General Manager of ERP Ireland asked:

“What if your old kettle, laptop or hairdryer became part of a spaceship? When you recycle your electrical waste, these products are broken down, and the materials can be reused. Every wire, chip, and circuit in this spaceship has had a past life— from the gadgets we’ve outgrown to the stars we dream of — the EcoTrashShip is transforming everyday waste into something extraordinary.”

“We are excited to be working with St. Patrick’s Festival again this year. We hope our EcoTrashShip inspired the thousands of visitors in Dublin over the weekend to join our mission to Go Green and Boldly Recycle!”

Find out more here.