IRELAND is falling behind in the recycling of technology, according to one company trying to encourage more people to buy refurbished tech.
Pádraig Power, senior marketing manager for global operations and Ireland at refurbished electronics company refurbed said that current EU directives dictate that European countries should recycle 65 per cent of their tech waste, but Ireland is currently falling way behind this.
“I was speaking to the CEO of WEEE Ireland, which is an electronic recycling company, and he was saying that the EU directive is that we should be recycling 65 per cent of our tech, that’s the current goal,” Pádraig explained.
“In Ireland, we’re only actually recycling about 40 per cent, so we’re 25 per cent behind that current goal.
“E-waste is happening, which means that we are chucking tech into landfills, but what that also means is that we’re stripping new resources to make new tech that’s not needed, because if the e-waste was disposed of properly, and if it was recycled or refurbished, then it could live on longer,” he said.
In an effort to combat this, people in Limerick and across Ireland are encouraged to consider buying refurbished technology such as phones and laptops, which is something, Pádraig says, has been becoming more common across the country.
“The thing with refurbishment is that it a device is restored to how it worked at the start of its life, so you are getting a full new life of the device.”
According to Pádraig, refurbishment “has become extremely popular, even in Ireland alone, we’re well over doubling in size every year”.
“We’ve only been here just over two years now, but that’s continuing. We’re seeing the same trend for this year.
“When you look at the industry overall, it’s worth nearly $30 billion in the US and it’s expected to more than double to be worth over $70 billion just this year,” Pádraig said.
In a further effort to make refurbished devices more attractive to customers, companies like refurbed are working with the European Refurbishment Association to bring in a common standard for all tech refurbishment companies across Europe.
“One of the things we’re hoping to have in place by the end of 2023 is that any company within Europe that’s in the refurbishment industry has to meet a minimum quality criteria, or else they’ll be shut down,” Pádraig explained.
“So the likes of refurbed already meet that standard and that criteria. We’re the ones setting it, but I think to have that set across the whole industry will be fantastic because it’ll really help customers know they can trust every refurbishment provider.”
Pádraig offered some advice for consumers considering buying refurbished devices.
“The first and most important thing is to make sure you’re going with a company that has a warranty. A lot of people mix up second-hand and refurbished and think they’re the same. They’re not.
“I would recommend to make sure you’re using a trusted refurbished source, to make sure they’re certified, and that you’re getting a warranty,” he concluded.
