Mayo consumers recycled tonnes of electrical waste last year

Consumers in Mayo recycled 1,344 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste last year, new figures show. The huge haul of end-of-life and discarded e-waste was equivalent to 9.7kg per person in the county, above the national average of 9.5kg.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland released the data to coincide with International E-Waste Day, which took place on Tuesday, October 14, as European statistics warned the continent’s e-waste mountain now hides one million tonnes of critical raw materials (CRMs) every year.

These materials include aluminium, copper, lithium, and nickel.

“People in Mayo have contributed greatly to e-waste recycling every year, with 1,344 tonnes of electrical waste collected in the county in 2024, and we want to encourage that trend,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland. “A total of 9.7kg of e-waste was recycled per person in the county last year –above the WEEE Ireland collection area average of 9.5kg per person.”

Additional research also shows that while 8 in 10 adults say they recycle their e-waste to help the environment, only 5 in 10 recognise that it is essential that we recover the critical raw materials inside old devices. 

WEEE Ireland says it is a major blind spot that could be costing Ireland valuable critical raw materials needed for a greener future.

“Most Irish adults recycle their old electronics because they care about the planet - but few realise just how important it is for us to recover the critical raw materials from those discarded devices,” said Mr Donovan.

“Every old and broken phone, hairdryer, or game controller tucked away at home contains critical raw materials that the EU desperately needs to be less reliant on China."

By 2050, Europe’s e-waste could rise to as much as 19 million tonnes annually, containing 1.9million tonnes of critical raw materials,  making collection and recycling more urgent than ever. The findings feed directly into Europe’s evolving policy framework, which includes the Critical Raw Materials Act (2024), which sets benchmarks for the extraction, processing, and recycling of strategic materials, aiming for 25% of annual demand to be met from recycling by 2030. 

Currently, just 1% of critical raw material requirements are met by e-waste recycling. In addition, the forthcoming WEEE Directive Revision 2026 is expected to tighten collection and reporting rules, boosting demand for secondary raw materials and traceability. 

For more information and dates for free public recycling days in Ireland, visit www.weeeireland.ie.