WEEE Ireland power ahead and smash EU Battery Recycling Target
February 22, 2017
BATT’S A RECORD!
812 tonnes (32 million AA Batteries) of waste batteries collected by WEEE Ireland in 2016 brings donations to LauraLynn up to €285,000 since 2011.
WEEE Ireland, Ireland’s largest battery recycling scheme today announced that they powered through to recycle 812 tonnes, the equivalent of 32 million AA batteries in Ireland in 2016. With a target to recycle 45% of all batteries placed on the market in Ireland by their members in 2016, WEEE Ireland called on the Irish Public to re-charge their recycling habits to help Ireland achieve its target. Today WEEE Ireland are delighted to announce that the public’s monumental efforts paid off.
Not only was the target achieved, the Irish public went above and beyond, recycling 11 million more AA batteries than 2015.
LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice has been WEEE Ireland’s charity partner since 2011. Since then, every battery recycled by the public in the blue WEEE Ireland battery boxes has gone towards a donation fund for the charity. Today, with the help of an old friend, Bosco, WEEE Ireland is delighted to deliver a further donation of €50,000 to LauraLynn, bringing its overall donation since 2011 up to a staggering €285,000.
By achieving these huge battery recycling figures through the efforts of the public, WEEE Ireland has been able to provide critical funding for the palliative care services for children with life limiting conditions cared for at LauraLynn. The €235,000 raised to date, and the additional €50,000 donation today has helped LauraLynn provide a home-from-home for families of children with life limiting conditions, where they can avail of specialised medical care as well as emotional, social and spiritual support to help them cope and live life as normally as possible. More than 3,800 children in Ireland have a life limiting condition and for families caring for them is around the clock for many years, through crisis and uncertainty where every facet of normal family life is affected and changed.
Commenting on this huge achievement WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan said, “We are delighted to announce that WEEE Ireland surpassed its EU waste battery recycling target for 2016, proving that the people of Ireland have what it takes to make Ireland a global leader in the management of waste electrical and electronic goods. I want to say a huge thank you to every person who recycled even a single battery, because they all counted, together through schools, your local retailers, supermarkets like Aldi or local recycling centres we collected the equivalent of 32 million AA batteries, and that is an incredible achievement. What’s more, in doing so we are also supporting the amazing work of LauraLynn, and with your help we look forward to being able to continue to contribute to such a worthwhile cause – so keep recycling your batteries!”
Stressing the importance of the WEEE Ireland donations, Sharon Morrow CEO of LauraLynn added; “We are so grateful to be receiving this donation from WEEE Ireland today. LauraLynn depends on the generosity of companies like WEEE Ireland and the general public in order to keep providing our much needed care, to the tune of €3.5 million every year. The €50,000 being donated today by WEEE Ireland – as a result of their enormously successfully battery recycling campaign – gives us a huge boost and brings their donations to LauraLynn since 2011 up to a staggering €285,000.”
On behalf of WEEE Ireland and LauraLynn, brand ambassador Bosco would also like to say a huge ”Thank You” to all the boys and girls in households and schools who recycled their waste batteries in the blue WEEE Ireland battery boxes, local recycling centres or at public collection days. Each and every battery that has been recycled is going towards this great cause. Together we have and can continue to make a visible difference!
The achievement of this success is widespread, teachers and students have incorporated waste battery recycling into their school recycling activities by joining the WEEEPledge programme. An impressive 1 Million of waste AA batteries were recycled through WEEEPledge in 2016 and contributed significantly to the overall increase in the amount of batteries recycled in 2016.
For further information on how to register for the WEEEPledge programme, visit http://www.weeepledge.ie/.
Ends
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sarah.mcdonagh@humebrophy.com / 086 778 0301
andrea.wubben@humebrophy.com / 086 142 8977
About WEEE Ireland
WEEE Ireland (Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is a not for profit organisation, founded by Producers of electrical and electronic appliances to help them comply with the legal obligations imposed by the WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC. WEEE Ireland manages the collection for recycling of household WEEE, lighting equipment and batteries from authorised collection points, on behalf of its Producer members. The WEEE Ireland Annual Environmental report can be found at www.weeeireland.ie
Our objective is to provide cost effective compliance for Producers to meet the requirements of the WEEE Regulations 2005 and Battery Regulations 2008, whilst minimising the cost to the consumer.
About WEEE & battery recycling
The WEEE Ireland scheme operates on behalf of Producers of battery and electrical appliances to encourage people at home and in work to manage their electrical and battery waste responsibly. Waste batteries can then be deposited in larger WEEE Ireland blue boxes at local battery retailers, recycling centres and public collection days. Recycling electrical items and batteries diverts them from landfill and ensures any heavy metals and chemicals they contain are managed in an environmentally responsible way.
Recycling also saves on natural resources as many of the component parts of batteries can be used again in manufacturing. For more information, please log on to weeeireland.ie, or join the campaign on facebook.com/weeeireland
About LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice
LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice provides palliative care to children with life-limiting conditions and their families, from the point of diagnosis to end of life, and throughout bereavement.
Our holistic approach ensures we support the whole family through a unique care plan that may include: symptom management; planned short hospice stays (respite); unplanned hospice stays (emergency care); end of life care; music & play therapy; psychological & bereavement support; Social Work and Chaplaincy. All care is provided free to families. Care can be availed of in the hospice, at hospital, in the community, or in the family home, depending on the child and family’s preference.
It costs €5.2million to keep LauraLynn’s Children’s Hospice open, €3.5million of which must be generated each year through fundraised income.
Approximately 3,840 children with a life-limiting condition are living in Ireland today, with close to 700 needing the specialised care provided by LauraLynn. Tragically, close to 350 children with a life-limiting illness die each year, most within their first year of life. Since opening in 2011, LauraLynn has cared for more than 325 children and their families and provided more than 265,000 hours of short stay care provided to children in LauraLynn Hospice.
For further information please visit lauralynn.ie