WEEE Ireland, The Irish Compliance Scheme for Electrical and Battery Recycling

EMC, the Fee to Help Recycle Small WEEE

The EMC pilot aimed to bridge the information gap on environmental management costs (EMCs).  The pilot spanned across 6 stores nationwide, in partnership with two well-known Irish electrical retailers; DID Electrical and Expert Electrical. Participating stores covered a rural-to-urban basis. The retailers at DID Electrical and Expert Electrical were heavily involved with implementing the collateral in stores and managing customer relations regarding EMCs. The pilot aimed to highlight the inclusion of EMCs, or ‘visible fees’, on small WEEE across Irish retailers. This was promoted through increased in-store communications and by building on the existing retailer WEEE takeback programme.  

Visible fees have been a feature of the Irish WEEE system since 2005 and were re-established in 2014 on flagship product categories, such as fridge freezers, large white goods, large TVs and lighting equipment. However, visible fees labelling is currently not included on small WEEE such as kettles, toasters etc.  The current fees are listed and can be viewed in the Irish Category listings, that are published and updated on an ongoing basis by the national registration body, Producer Register Ltd. The pilot took place in-store over a four-month period, with supporting collateral remaining in place from June – September 2024. In addition to this, surveys were conducted via QR codes in-store to gauge consumer opinions of the pilot and store managers were asked to participate in an additional survey.  

Furthermore, the pilot was supported by the strength of the existing retailer WEEE takeback programme in stores and during delivery, which ensures WEEE takeback and recycling on a like-for-like basis with eligible appliances.  WEEE Ireland’s development of the retailer ‘We’ll take it back‘ campaign has been extremely influential in the results of the pilot. The campaign involves participating stores taking back WEEE with no obligation to purchase in-store and promoting the campaign in return for contributions to their marketing programmes. The ECOSWEEE project was deemed an opportunity by WEEE Ireland to explore the visibility of recycling fees communication on small appliances and its impacts on takeback tonnage and consumer opinion.

Past research into EMCs in Ireland has shown: 

If the EMCs were shown, 80% of consumers say they would be more willing to recycle with just 8% less willing.

88% of consumers would prefer that the recycling fee is shown clearly in the pricing.

Just 3% of consumers would be unhappy having the EMC visible, whereas 68% would feel happier and reassured .

If no EMC was displayed on electronic equipment, just 27% would know a recycling contribution is being made.

WEEE consists of critical raw materials that are extremely important in closing the e-loop. WEEE and batteries contain hazardous substances that pose serious harm to the environment when incorrectly disposed of. To promote circularity and keep the manufacturing industry resilient, it is essential to highlight to consumers that environmental management costs are already included in the price they pay to encourage higher recycling rates. 

Recycle for Good Pilot with the LauraLynn Children's Hospice

The “Recycle for Good” pilot focused on donation/social incentives. This was supported by WEEE Ireland’s charity partnership with Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice, which has been ongoing since 2012. The pilot promotes battery recycling nationwide through a reward system, benefiting the chosen charity. The initiative distributes the iconic Blue Battery boxes across various collection points, including participating schools, in a competitive recycling campaign.  

Participating schools collect batteries to win sports vouchers. A minimum of fifty kilograms of waste batteries is required to qualify. During the pilot, there were 6 €2000 sports vouchers up for grabs! The campaign has successfully integrated environmental awareness with charitable giving, significantly increasing battery recycling rates and raising substantial donations for LauraLynn. The programme engages the public and schools through targeted communications and PR campaigns, involving various stakeholders to amplify its impact. 

The 2023/24 pilot ran from September 2023 – June 2024, in line with the Irish school calendar, promoting the school’s competition to communities across Ireland. This pilot saw a record number of primary and secondary schools participating in the competition. By actively encouraging the involvement of teachers, families, and the school’s broader community to collect used batteries for recycling, students can ensure that valuable materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper are recovered and reused, rather than lost to landfill. This prevents irreversible damage to the environment and promotes a resilient circular economy in Europe, in line with the vision of WEEE Ireland and under the European Green Deal. 

The WEEE Ireland’s Schools Battery Recycling Competition has returned for 2024/25 for a new school year and is open to all primary and secondary schools in WEEE Ireland battery recycling counties that collect at least 10 full 5kg battery boxes. To date, WEEE Ireland has successfully donated €590,000 to LauraLynn during their partnership! Keep up to date with the new Recycle for Good campaign on the WEEE Ireland news page!

What can be concluded from the Recycle for Good campaign?

• The social incentive donation adds a layer of emotional value to the pilot and is effective in creating community-driven action where participants feel they are contributing to both environmental and social issues.

• The choice of a charity organisation is important in triggering participation. LauraLynn Children’s Hospice is a well-known, beloved Irish charity that offers a strong incentive for school children and families to participate in the recycling campaign.