Electrical recycling event on Kildare-Wicklow border proves a huge success
The event was organised by WEEE Ireland
A recent electrical recycling event which took place on the Kildare-Wicklow border found success.
The Blessington Allotments Campaign (BAC), which is an environmental advocacy group established in 2018 to campaign for the provision of community growing spaces in the Blessington area, organised the town's first electrical recycling event in 11 years.
The event took place on Saturday, August 31 last at McGreal's Primary Care Centre and was hosted by WEEE Ireland.
Residents from all over West-Wicklow dropped off their electrical, battery and lighting waste to the WEEE collection point, with approximately eight tonnes of material collected overall.
Old washing machines, laptops, cables, air fryers, hair dryers, farm batteries and more were among the items dropped off for recycling on the day.
Dónal McCormack, Chairperson of the BAC, explained that the campaign had heard from residents in the local area who didn’t have access to a local recycling point for WEEE waste, and took direct action to support local communities.
He elaborated: "We contacted WEEE Ireland earlier this year to request a free electrical collection day for Blessington and continued to work with them to secure a location and promote the event locally along with Wicklow County Council.
"Recycling WEEE waste directly helps the environment by reusing precious resources that are already in electrical components."
Mr McCormack concluded: "A huge thanks to all at WEEE Ireland who made the collection day so smooth, Wicklow County Council for supporting this project, and to McGreal's for the use of their premises for this project."
Dónal McCormack and Deirdre McCormack at Free Electrical Recycling Event in Blessington. Photograph supplied by Blessington Allotments Campaign.