Students Reece Ward, Ollie Mooney, Felix Kelly, and Cillian Kelly-Flood of St Lorcan’s Boys National School in Palmerstown with their teacher Miss Keenan
PALMERSTOWN school St Lorcan’s BNS collected the equivalent of 22,100 AA batteries, winning the national title of Battery Recycling Champions.
Over 80 schools in Dublin participated in WEEE Ireland’s Schools Battery Recycling Competition, collecting the equivalent of 173,450 used AA batteries for recycling.
St Lorcan’s was awarded a €2,000 sports voucher for their title win.
Nationally, the equivalent of 1.5 million used AA batteries—the weight of almost four school buses—were collected and recycled by primary and secondary students during the last school year.
The competition returns this October for a new school year, and is open to all primary and secondary schools in WEEE Ireland battery recycling counties that collect at least 10 full 5kg battery boxes.
This year’s campaign will support LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
“A big congrats to St Lorcan’s for winning in their category but also to every participating school. Their recycling efforts not only make a significant environmental impact but also provide essential support to LauraLynn’s children’s hospice,” said tv and radio presenter Laura Woods, who launched this year’s campaign.
“Schools that engage in this important drive help rescue millions of batteries that might otherwise sit forgotten in drawers or old devices, ensuring their valuable materials can be recovered for reuse.”
Last year’s competition marked a new milestone, with a record number of schools participating.
“The new European Battery Regulations, applicable from earlier this year, introduce comprehensive rules to manage the entire lifecycle of batteries within the EU,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.
“Minimum material recovery targets for materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel will apply to various battery types, ensuring valuable materials are recaptured.”
