Vapes and solar panels are hot stuff..

They drive huge 75% surge in electrical devices sold since 2020

- BY GRAINNE NI AODHA

VAPES and solar panels have driven a 75% surge in electrical device sales since 2020.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ireland also said 93 million electronic items were bought last year - almost three times the volume sold in 2006.

Vaping devices alone accounted for a third of all units sold last year, an estimated 31 million units, while 2.5 million solar PV panels have been installed in the last five years.

WEEE Ireland chief executive Leo Donovan said: "Each one of those 93 million devices contains valuable materials like aluminium, copper, lithium, cobalt.

"We're using these materials far faster than they can regenerate. Global demand is set to triple by 2050 - that cannot be sustained.