ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 57 I nLdE Du sVt Ar yNNC eE w s Battery Clear-Out Call As Only Half Return For Safe Recycling As households replace old devices with new Christmas gifts received, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland is urging people to recycle used batteries and unwanted small electrical items, rather than storing them away or binning them. Its figures show that almost half of all household battery purchases are made during the Christmas shopping period, yet recycling rates remain stubbornly low. To support a nationwide New Year clear-out, the e-waste recycling scheme planned to deliver 1 million blue battery recycling boxes to homes nationwide during January 2026 in a bid to capture a valuable Only half of household batteries sold on the Irish market are making their way back for recycling each year, new data shows. hoard of waste batteries. They can be returned for free at participating retailers or local recycling centres. “Every home in Ireland can make a difference. Batteries don’t belong in the bin – they belong in recycling. When we dispose of them incorrectly, we risk fires and environmental pollution,” said TD Alan Dillon, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment."Together, we can keep dangerous chemicals out of landfill and rare materials in circulation. Let’s make 2026 about responsibility and care for each other.” Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland said, “As decorations have been stored away for another year and space is made for new gifts, now is the ideal time to carry out a battery and e-waste clear-out. As well as providing a handy QR code that connects you to a map of hundreds of local drop off points, our blue battery boxes are a simple but powerful reminder that batteries should never go in household bins. Returning for recycling ensures the safe recovery and reuse of the materials they contain.” A new Lithium battery guide has been added to the WEEE Ireland website to support consumers on the safe recycling of highercapacity batteries such as those found in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mobility and power packs. www. weeeireland.ie New trade association formed to represent Irish companies operating in the Data Centre supply chain A new trade association has been formed to represent homegrown Irish companies that operate in the data centre supply chain. The Irish Data Centre Supplier Alliance, or IDCSA, will represent companies across planning, design, construction, mechanical & electrical engineering, energy management, automation and technical services that have benefited from data centre investment in Ireland. The IDCSA has been established to advocate on behalf of its members, demonstrate the data sector’s value to the Irish economy, engage ർThe Irish Data Centre Supplier Alliance, or IDCSA, will represent Irish companies that operate within the data centre supply chain. ർTom Parlon, the former Director General of CIF, will become the first chair of the IDCSA. with policymakers to ensure government policy is practical and supportive of new investment, and to communicate how data centre investment supports economic activity and the growth of indigenous Irish firms. Tom Parlon, the former Director General of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and a former Minister of State in the Department of Finance, will become the first chair of the IDCSA. Parlon brings extensive experience to the position, having led CIF for 16 years providing him with a deep understanding of both the data centre value chain and the Irish policy system. Speaking at the IDCSA’s official launch at Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin, Tom Parlon said: “The growth of the data centre industry over the past 15 years has been one of the foundations of Ireland’s economic recovery since the financial crash. The sector has contributed over €20 billion through direct and indirect investment during that time, directly employing 1,800 people whilst supporting thousands more jobs across the Irish supply chain.” More on www.idcsa.ie
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