Students save 1.5m used batteries from landfill by students last year
Entries have opened for the WEEE Ireland Schools Battery Challenge 2025-2026. This year’s competition launches as the new EU Batteries Regulation come into full effect, bringing higher waste battery collection, recycling and recovery targets.
The competition is open to all primary and secondary schools in WEEE Ireland’s battery recycling counties that collect at least 10 full 5kg battery boxes.
Students across Ireland saved the equivalent of 1.5 million AA batteries from landfill last school year – the weight of close to four school buses – with one small school collecting the equivalent of nearly 2,000AA batteries per person.
Cloonfour National School in Roscommon, with just 40 pupils, proved that even the smallest schools can make a massive impact as they rallied their families and community to collect used batteries for recycling, to win in its category in the national WEEE Ireland Schools Battery Recycling Competition 2024-2025.
Other winning schools hailed from Galway, Carlow, Roscommon, Waterford and Donegal, with each awarded a €2,000 sports voucher for their efforts.
“The new EU Batteries Regulation raises the bar for all of us, and schools across Ireland are proving they are ready to meet that challenge,” said Elizabeth O’Reilly, head of environmental compliance at WEEE Ireland.
“The incredible efforts of students, teachers, families and local communities will help ensure we meet the minimum recovery targets for materials like cobalt, copper, lead, lithium, and nickel. This ensures these materials are recaptured for use again in manufacturing, as part of a more sustainable and circular battery economy.
“Every year we see how collective action can achieve real results – and even the smallest schools, like Cloonfour National School, can make an outsized contribution.”
Kerry McLaverty, CEO of LauraLynn, said: “The funds we have received from WEEE Ireland as a result of battery recycling programme over the last 14 years of this partnership have had such a positive impact on the children and families who avail of LauraLynn’s specialised care and supports all across Ireland.”
“This year’s donation brings the total fundraising to an incredible €610,000. LauraLynn would also like to say a huge thank you WEEE Ireland for the support across this campaign over the last number of years and to everyone who took the time to recycle their batteries.
“It may seem like something small, but for the children and families who rely on LauraLynn, and for the environment, it is huge and very impactful.”
Schools can find more information and order free WEEE Ireland Blue Battery Boxes at www.weeeireland.ie.
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