In 2006 SHNS started a battery re-cycling scheme with a company called “Return Batt” whereby pupils or members of the wider community could bring waste batteries into school and put them in the red bin situated just inside the main door. The scheme was brilliantly simple as when the bin was full, the company was contacted and they came and took the batteries away for re-cycling. 
In 2008 WEEE Ireland (The Irish Compliance Scheme for Electrical and Battery Recycling) took over the running of the scheme with the aim of establishing over 10,000 waste battery drop off points. It is estimated that over 2,000 tonnes of batteries are sold in Ireland each year – the equivalent in weight terms of 80 million AA batteries – with most traditionally discarded in rubbish bins instead of being recycled due their small size.
WEEE Ireland facilitate their sorting, treatment and recycling by sending the batteries to a licensed treatment facility dedicated to battery recycling where they go through a variety of processes aimed at recovering material for use again. Much of the original battery components (plastic, lead, and various metals) can be reused to produce new batteries, thus reducing the strain on natural resources.
Battery recycling continues in school today, with the same red bin doing the job now as it
did in 2006. When the bin is full the batteries are brought to the Wexford County Council Recycling Amenity in Holmestown by any staff member who happens to be on the way to Wexford town.
In 2008 WEEE Ireland (The Irish Compliance Scheme for Electrical and Battery Recycling) took over the running of the scheme with the aim of establishing over 10,000 waste battery drop off points. It is estimated that over 2,000 tonnes of batteries are sold in Ireland each year – the equivalent in weight terms of 80 million AA batteries – with most traditionally discarded in rubbish bins instead of being recycled due their small size.
WEEE Ireland facilitate their sorting, treatment and recycling by sending the batteries to a licensed treatment facility dedicated to battery recycling where they go through a variety of processes aimed at recovering material for use again. Much of the original battery components (plastic, lead, and various metals) can be reused to produce new batteries, thus reducing the strain on natural resources.
Battery recycling continues in school today, with the same red bin doing the job now as it
did in 2006. When the bin is full the batteries are brought to the Wexford County Council Recycling Amenity in Holmestown by any staff member who happens to be on the way to Wexford town. This further cuts down on our carbon footprint and conserves resources as WEEE do not have to utilise their resources / manpower in collecting the batteries.
