Where Good Electrics go to Die: Recycling Hairdryers and Straighteners

Sad to say, those trusty GHDs don't last forever, do they? Neither will that amazing Nutriheat hair dryer, either.  The fact is, consumer electricals have a shelf-life, and it can seem like that shelf-life is ever diminishing.

Like my bloody broken kettle, for example. Due to my innate fussiness, I've been boiling water in a pot for about 6 months, as every time I tried to replace the shaggin' thing with the kettle I wanted - a Dualit - it was out of stock. Finally, finally, last week I got the one I wanted, and the joy of cups of tea is once more known in my house. And then I had to get rid of the old, broken kettle. I knew there was a way to go about it without it becoming landfill - and indeed there is.

Thanks to WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Ireland, you can take your straighener, hair dryer - or kettle - with you when you buy a new item, and the shop is duty-bound to exchange like for like. Now, you can't take your washing machine into Argos if you're only buying heated rollers, but you can bring in your ancient, old set and they'll take them off you for recycling when you buy new - even if you didn't buy the originals there. Handy, eh? It's all funded through the PRF (Producer Recycling Fund), which you contribute to when you buy any new electrical or electronic item. So you're fully entitled to this service.

That's not all: if you forgot to bring your old doofer in when you bought new, you can bring it back at a later date - just show a receipt for the new product and they should take the old one off you. Or you can check out the WEEE website for info on depots near you who offer free recycling of electrics.

Most importantly, don't throw the old product in the bin. It's a cinch now to recycle - so do!