IF YOU’VE DONE a clear-out during lockdown, it’s likely you’ll have gathered together a bag or box of broken or unused electrical products.

While you might be tempted to throw them into the black bin if they’ve been sitting gathering dust for a while, there are quite a few reasons why you shouldn’t. 

Incorrectly binning WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is a waste of important resources – like glass, plastic or metals – which could be used again, and it’s dangerous (waste batteries may still contain energy which can cause battery-related fires if they are improperly disposed of). Plus, when electrical waste is improperly disposed of, it can release hazardous material which can impact on human health and our environment.

Recycling WEEE and waste batteries correctly is free, easy and local – and means you’re playing your part in helping our environment. 

So, just how much do you know about recycling electrical waste? Take our quiz below to find out…

1. First of all, what does WEEE stand for?

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Waste Environmental Emissions Equipments

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Waste Electronic and Environmental Energy

2. True or false: Over 19 million pieces of e-waste were diverted from Irish landfills in 2019.

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True

False

3. This is a standard LED bulb. Can it be recycled at a WEEE recycling centre?

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Yes

No

4. Which of the below cannot be recycled under the WEEE scheme?

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E-scooter

Phone charger

Saucepans

Christmas lights

5. Which of the below can be recycled for free under the WEEE scheme?

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Treadmill

Electrical boiler

Electrical toys

All of the above

6. What are the potential results of not disposing of battery waste correctly?

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Soil pollution

Water pollution

Increased CO2 emissions

All of the above

7. What percentage of raw materials (such as plastic, glass and metals) can be recovered by recycling WEEE?

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15%

35%

55%

85%

8. Can WEEE be recycled when it's disposed of in a household black bin?

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Yes

No, it must be brought to a local authority recycling centre or electrical store

9. Where can waste batteries be brought to be recycled?

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To a local authority recycling centre

To an electrical store

To a supermarket

All of the above

Answer all the questions to see your result!

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You scored out of !

You need to charge up your knowledge

You know a thing or two about recycling electrical waste, but there's more to learn. Read on to find out more...

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You scored out of !

Bin there, done that

You know a few things about recycling electrical waste, but there's room to charge up your knowledge. Read on to find out more...

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Lightbulb moment! You're an electrical, lighting and battery waste expert

You know exactly what can and can't be recycled - well done! Read on to learn even more...

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Binning is sinning – Binning of WEEE into black bins is causing damage to our planet. Recycle your old and broken electrical items, bulbs and batteries for free at your local authority recycling centre or nearest recycling retailer. Find your nearest WEEE Ireland recycling point here.