WE ALL KNOW that cardboard, paper and hard plastic go in the green bin and food waste goes in the brown bin, but what’s the correct way to dispose of electrical waste?

It might be tempting to throw old batteries or broken electrical appliances into the black bin and hope for the best, but there are quite a few reasons why you shouldn’t. 

Firstly, incorrectly disposing of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) causes damage to our planet. It’s 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 and easy – 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. How would you dispose of... a remote control with batteries?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

2. How would you dispose of... an old phone charger?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

3. How would you dispose of... a CD?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

4. How would you dispose of... an LED lightbulb?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

5. How would you dispose of… a wind-up toy?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

6. How would you dispose of... Christmas lights?

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Put them in the household bin

Bring them to a WEEE collection point

7. How would you dispose of… a computer monitor?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

8. How would you dispose of… a tablet or laptop?

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Put it in the household bin

Bring it to a WEEE collection point

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 !

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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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...

Share your result:

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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.