Mayo householders urged to recycle E-waste at free collection events

Householders across Co. Mayo are being encouraged to recycle unwanted electrical items, batteries and electronic waste at a series of free collection events taking place over the coming weeks.

The initiative, organised by WEEE Ireland in partnership with Mayo County Council, is aimed at helping the county meet national and EU recycling targets for 2026.

The first collection day will take place on Saturday, March 21 at the Civic Office car park on Church Street in Belmullet from 10am to 4pm. 

This will be followed by a collection at the West car park in Knock on Tuesday, March 24, and at the Community Centre in Kilmaine on Thursday, March 26.

Further collection events are planned throughout March and April at locations across Mayo.

Residents can bring along any items with a plug, battery or cable for free recycling, including household appliances such as washing machines, televisions, kettles and toasters, as well as mobile phones, IT equipment, tools, toys, cables, watches and even farm fence batteries.

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According to Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland, demand for electrical goods has grown significantly in recent years, making recycling more important than ever.

“In Mayo, and across Ireland, we are buying more electrical goods than ever, with people purchasing an average of 23kg per head in 2024 compared to 16kg just seven years ago,” he said. “With old items still lying around many households, we want to offer the opportunity to recycle these for free.”

Mayo has already shown strong performance in e-waste recycling, with 1,344 tonnes collected in 2024, equating to 9.7kg per person — slightly above the national average.

However, new EU targets mean that at least 25% of critical raw materials must be recovered from e-waste.

Mr Donovan highlighted the environmental benefits, noting that 96% of collected e-waste is recovered for reuse in manufacturing, while recycling efforts in 2024 helped avoid over 206,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

“These materials are effectively the urban mines of the future,” he said. “Our recycling efforts can have a significant impact on the environment.”

Organisers say the free collection days provide an easy and accessible way for Mayo residents to dispose of old electronics responsibly, while helping protect the environment and conserve valuable resources.

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