Irish recyclers urge EU to update e-scrap targets

Electronics recyclers in Ireland have called on EU policy makers to revise ‘outdated’ e-waste targets set more than a decade ago.

Under current rules, member states must collect 65% of the average weight of electronic products sold over the previous three years. But these weight-based targets, fail to reflect modern realities, according to WEEE Ireland’s ceo Leo Donovan.

‘While WEEE Ireland’s take-back rates match the European average, our ability to meet this target is moving further out of reach every year – not because we’re failing, but because the targets ignore the real impact of circular economy efforts,’ says Donovan.

Unrecognised

As electronics last longer and more consumers repair or refurbish devices, less material enters the waste stream yet this progress goes unrecognised under the EU’s current system, he adds. ‘If a phone is repaired, it doesn’t count toward Ireland’s targets, even though it keeps valuable materials in use.’

Donovan points that newer appliances such as solar PV panels and heat pumps last 15 to 20 years, delaying any recycling yet they still count in today’s sales-based targets.

The ceo adds that realistic targets to benchmark our systems and drive improvement are needed. ‘The EU must rethink how it tracks e-waste management to align with circular economy principles.’

Milestone reached 

His criticism comes as WEEE Ireland celebrates 20 years. In the past two decades, 250 million electrical items have been diverted from landfill in Ireland thanks to e-waste recycling, the organisation’s new data reveals.

Since its founding in 2005, WEEE Ireland, which accounts for 78% of the country’s total e-scrap collection, has recycled 609 000 tonnes of electronic scrap (or 122 000 loaded 40-foot trucks). It says the milestone highlights the scale and impact of the country’s largest e-waste compliance scheme, which invests EUR 25 million per year into developing and upgrading Ireland’s recycling infrastructure.

Plastic, glass, steel

WEEE Ireland has built a network of partners, including KMK Metals Recycling, Irish Lamps Recycling, and Recycle IT. Together, they extract over 30 000 tonnes of steel, plastic, and glass per year.