BOSCO knocks on LauraLynn’s Magic Door and announces a new donation figure of over €185,000
April 16, 2015
- Bosco calling on everyone’s support to help break the €250, 000 donation mark for LauraLynn in 2016 and recycle a record amount of batteries this year
- An astounding 529 tonnes of waste portable batteries recycled in the 2014 WEEE Ireland campaign, enough to fill nearly 100 articulated truckloads
- Significant increase in the amount of people bringing their waste batteries to retailers (up 11%)
PRESS RELEASE
Bosco visited the boys and girls at LauraLynn Children’s Hospice today to deliver the great news that over €185,000 has been donated to the charity by WEEE Ireland from the efforts of Irish families, schools and businesses who have collected over 2,328 tonnes of waste portable batteries for recycling over the past 4 years.
Ireland’s favourite red head also had an important reminder for everyone in Ireland, big and small – that EVERY battery still counts! For every battery recycled in the WEEE Ireland blue battery boxes throughout 2015, WEEE Ireland will continue to make a monetary donation to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. Over 26 million portable waste batteries have been collected across the country in 2014 and as a result an additional €50, 000 has been donated to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice by WEEE Ireland, bringing the total donation from WEEE Ireland to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice to €185, 000 to date.
With everyone’s help WEEE Ireland can break the €250,000 donation mark next year. Every extra blue battery box WEEE Ireland receives in 2015 (filled with waste batteries for recycling) will result in a €2 donation to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
WEEE Ireland needs your help to get 25,000 filled battery boxes back between now and 2016. Each battery box full of waste batteries will result in a €2 donation from WEEE Ireland who have been supporting LauraLynn Children’s Hospice through their battery recycling campaign since 2011. The campaign encourages the public to recycle their waste batteries in the blue WEEE Ireland battery boxes across the country.
Speaking at the special performance at LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, Bosco said; “Hello everybody! Hello Boys and Girls! I absolutely love spreading the good word about battery recycling all in aid of my favourite place, LauraLynn! I want thank everyone for recycling their batteries in the blue WEEE Ireland battery boxes, because you have helped contribute towards WEEE Ireland’s big gift of €185, 000 to this very special charity to date. Remember not to put your batteries in the bin, because it’s a terrible sin!! Look out for the blue WEEE Ireland battery box in shops and schools and offices near you and make your waste batteries a ‘gift’ to LauraLynn instead.”
Elizabeth O’Reilly, WEEE Ireland, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that we can donate an additional €50, 000 to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice today. It’s a fantastic achievement that everyone who donated their waste batteries in the blue WEEE Ireland battery boxes should be very proud of. The more batteries that are recycled, the more LauraLynn will benefit. As a Mum I can fully appreciate how important and special the work carried out in LauraLynn is and how much it helps the families who avail of these essential services every day.”
“We want to thank everyone who helped us collect an astounding 26 million batteries for recycling. It means a lot to us and to the Charity. Our latest task is to keep the momentum going and recycle even more batteries in 2015 so that we can break the €250, 000 total donation mark next year and continue to help this incredibly worthwhile cause while helping Ireland meet its EU battery recycling targets.”
LauraLynn provides palliative care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. By simply recycling your waste batteries in blue battery boxes across the country, you can make a huge difference to these short and precious lives. Just one of the initiatives that your batteries have helped to support so far is the pilot of LauraLynn@HOME, which has seen LauraLynn bring their hospice services into the comfort of the homes of more than 50 families. Batteries are collected and recycled at a cost to the scheme but WEEE Ireland wanted to encourage people not to throw them in the bin, but recycle instead and hit upon the idea of donating to the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice based on the recycling effort.
Ireland has a waste portable collection target of 45%, compared to the weight of batteries sold each year, to reach by 2016. Since 2008, under an EU Battery Directive, Producers – manufacturers and importers – of batteries, have legal responsibilities to set up systems for the public to collect spent batteries for proper environmental management when they become waste. WEEE Ireland works on behalf of its Producer Members in Ireland in this regard. Diverting waste batteries from landfill protects the environment as it prevents heavy metals and chemicals contaminating water, soil and air and is a more resource efficient way of recovering material for use in manufacturing; compared to mining for example.
The 45% target rate means every second person will have to recycle ALL of their batteries this year to achieve the target but WEEE Ireland wants everyone get involved. Collect spent batteries at your home and work place and put them in the WEEE Ireland Blue Battery boxes at retailers and other collection points locally. Batteries can also be returned to your local civic amenity site, or to a WEEE Ireland public collection day for recycling. Log onto weeeireland.ie, Like WEEE Ireland on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WEEEIreland or Follow on Twitter @WEEEIreland for further details on where to recycle.
Speaking about the impact WEEE Ireland’s support has had on LauraLynn, Sharon Morrow, CEO, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice said, “This simple yet effective concept has had a huge impact on LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. It has captured the imagination of the Irish public, recycling for good, helping children, and the environment all in one initiative. To date the campaign has raised €185,000
for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice and given the huge challenges we face, support like this is so important to the sustainability of our services. We are so thankful for WEEE Ireland’s support over the last 4 years and hope to continue this wonderful partnership, allowing us to make precious moments for Ireland’s sickest children and their families.”
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Emma Walsh – 087 317 0897 – emma@insightconsultants.ie
Notes to Editors:
About LauraLynn- Ireland’s Children’s Hospice
LauraLynn is Ireland’s first and only children’s hospice. Since opening in September 2011, families across Ireland now have access to respite, home support and end-of-life care for children with highly medically dependent conditions. LauraLynn is a specially created unit located in the grounds of the Children’s Sunshine Home, Leopardstown, Dublin.
Every year there are approximately 350 child deaths and more than 1,400 children living with life limiting or threatening conditions in Ireland. The monies required to build LauraLynn was 100% generated through fundraising. It cost €5.5 million to build and fit-out the hospice and now costs almost €2.4million to operate each year. To date, LauraLynn has received no state funding for operating costs.
For further information please visit lauralynn.ie