Kettles reach boiling point during Irish lockdown

A kettle was the most recycled object in Ireland over the past twelve months (with 1 in 4 Irish adults claiming to have recycled one)

On 31st May 2021, Landbell Group company ERP Ireland released figures highlighting an increase in electronic waste and battery recycling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Overall, ERP Ireland identified a 9% increase with over 5.6 million electrical items collected during 2020. Furthermore, ERP Ireland collected 530 tonnes of batteries in 2020: a 7% increase on the previous year.

ERP Ireland also announced the results of the ‘Recycling Habits during Covid-19’ study which it commissioned from Coyne Research. The nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults revealed that:

• Over two-thirds of respondents claimed to have unused electrical items in their home
• Just under half of respondents said they do not recycle unused electrical items as they feel they may use them again in the future (with only 8% concerned about data privacy)
• A PC or laptop was the most repaired item in 2020, with 1 in 10 Irish adults fixing one in the last 12 months

Commenting on the survey, Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said: “We are delighted to see behavioural change through the pandemic and hope this continues. We commend ERP for their work in recycling electrical waste and batteries.”

Martin Tobin, CEO of ERP Ireland said: “In Ireland, we have seen significant increases in domestic waste presented for collection and recycling. Some of this is thought to be associated with home clear-outs or spring cleaning as many people are spending more time at home. Consumers are increasingly more environmentally aware, and we have seen people’s recycling activities change for the better. We are delighted to see this marked increase and feel that we can do more.”

For more insights from the survey, please click here.