Ashbourne Community Recycling Day a Great Success

The ERP Electrical Recycling Drop Off Event took place once again as part of the Ashbourne Community Recycling Day last weekend (Saturday 16th September) with an impressive 15 tonnes of electrical waste collected for recycling. This is the equivalent in weight to almost 10 Irish rugby teams!

The Ashbourne Community Recycling Day is organised by Cllr Joe Bonner who has been running these recycling days for the past 18 years. Over 40 people work on each event, 20 volunteers and 20 service provider staff.

The collection event was run as part of a multi-country awareness movement that aims to awaken the public to the need for recycling waste, saving resources, and protecting the planet. The “I’m not trash” campaign is a multi-channel initiative which will take place in several ERP countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the UK).

Cllr Bonner said “I would like to thank those that came out in their droves to recycle items such as washing machines, fridges, broken hoovers, mattresses, toys, old couches, abandoned cars – even documents for shredding! Our recycling days provide an avenue for the community to conveniently dispose of bulky house waste at a fraction of the cost and help keep our countryside litter free and reduce illegal dumping."

Martin Tobin, CEO of ERP Ireland said: “The ERP Electrical Recycling Drop Off event at Ashbourne Retail Park was a great success and I would like to commend Joe and all the volunteers who made the day such a great success. Thank you to all who brought their unused electrical items and batteries to be recycled.

The “I’m not trash” campaign is a call to action that will drive people to learn more about the waste they produce. In Ireland, studies have revealed that on average 11% of material in household bins should not have been put there – these include small WEEE items such as remote controls, phone chargers and personal grooming devices; batteries; textiles and paint. The “I’m not trash” campaign highlights the fact that electronics, batteries, packaging and textile waste are valuable resources and should be recycled as we move towards a more sustainable, resource efficient, circular economy.”