Longford householders urged to avail of free e-waste and battery recycling event
Free electrical recycling day at Granard Farmers Mart on Saturday, 17 October
Press Release: Tuesday 29 September 2026
Longford householders are being urged to bring their batteries, electrical, and electronic waste to a free collection day to help the county meet national e-waste recycling targets for 2026.
The event, hosted by WEEE Ireland in partnership with Longford County Council, takes place on Saturday, 17 October from 10am-4pm at Granard Farmers Mart, Rathcronan, Granard.
Items with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled for free on the day, including old washing machines, TVs, toasters and kettles, electronic tools and toys, cables, IT equipment, mobile phones, remote controls, batteries, including farm fence batteries, and even watches. This free event is in partnership with Longford County Council.
Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerry Hagan said, “The people of Longford have a strong record of supporting e-waste recycling. This event is a welcome opportunity to build on that good work and help the county meet its recycling targets. I encourage householders to avail of this free service in Granard Mart on Saturday, 17 October.”
Longford County Council Chief Executive Samantha Healy said, “This free collection gives every household in Longford a simple and practical way to dispose of unwanted electrical items and batteries safely. Each item recycled helps to recover valuable materials, reduce waste and protect our environment. I encourage people to check their homes, sheds and farms and bring suitable items to Granard for this free electrical recycling day.”
WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan said, “In Longford, and across Ireland, we are buying more electrical goods than ever – with people purchasing an average 25kg per head in 2025 compared to 16kgs just eight years ago. Shopping stats show a surge in spend on new electrical devices like mobile phones, computers, small kitchen appliances and white goods. With old items still lying around many households we want to offer the opportunity to recycle these for free. People in Longford have contributed greatly to e-waste recycling every year, with 439 tonnes of electrical waste collected in the county in 2025, and we want to encourage that trend.”
A total of 9.4g of e-waste was recycled per person in Longford in 2025 – falling short of the WEEE Ireland collection area average of 9.63kg per person that same year. WEEE Ireland warns that the nation needs to meet new forthcoming EU targets to recycle at least 25% of our annual consumption of critical raw materials from e-waste. “
An average of 82% of all e-waste that we collect is recovered for use again in manufacturing through both indigenous operators and specialist processors in Europe,” said Mr. Donovan. “Most end-of-life products contain metals and minerals in higher concentrations than primary resources. These stocks of resources are the urban mines of the future, so our recycling efforts can have a significant impact on the environment.”
In 2025, the equivalent of 206,401 tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided by recycling e-waste through the WEEE Ireland Scheme as opposed to landfilling. That is the equivalent of the annual carbon consumption of 4,128 hectares of trees. WEEE Ireland accounts for over two thirds of all national waste electrical and electronics collection activity on behalf of 1,900 producer members.
“Recycling e-waste is incredibly beneficial for both the environment and the economy,” said Mr. Donovan. “Together, we are diverting waste from landfill, recovering raw materials for reuse and ensuring hazardous materials are safely and responsibly disposed of. “We look forward to working with Longford householders to hopefully recycle a record-breaking amount of electronic waste in 2026.”
