There was some good news recently regarding recycling. On 6 September it was announced that due to advancements in Ireland’s recycling capabilities, soft plastics can now be recycled! Hurray! So here is an update and reminder on recycling:
1) Green Bin
It is important to ensure that anything put into your green recycling bin should be clean, dry and loose. If it is not free from food or drink, it may contaminate the whole recycling. The following can now be put into your Green Bin:
• paper & cardboard
• newspapers & magazines
• cardboard boxes (flattened)
• plastic containers and bottles (drink bottles, cleaning bottles, plastic trays, butter & yoghurt cartons etc)
• Soft plastics (frozen food bags, bread wrappers, bubble wrap, pasta bags, breakfast cereal bags etc)
• Tins and cans
• Tetra-Pak cartons
2) Brown Bin
Food waste and small amounts of garden waste can be put into your brown bin. Examples:
• kitchen food scraps
• fruit and vegetables
• bread, cakes & biscuits
• eggs & dairy
• raw and cooked food
• meat and fish
• out-of-date goods (with packaging removed)
• coffee grinds and teabags
• grass clippings and leaves
• plant trimmings
• cut flowers & old plants
Food waste should be put into compostable bags. Lids on brown bins should be kept closed to keep vermin and flies at bay and keep the bin in a shady part of the garden until it is collected. If you do not have a brown bin, you can request one from the local council.
3) Civic Amenity Centre/Recycling Centres
A wide range of items can be brought to your local civic amenity centre or local recycling centre to be recycled/disposed of correctly. Check with your local centre to see what they accept. Examples:
• glass bottles and jars
• textiles (clean clothes, blankets, ben linen etc)
• electrical appliances
• white goods (washing machines, fridge, freezers, dishwashers etc)
• polystyrene
• wood & metal
• garden waste
• Electrical appliances (toasters, kettles, hairdryers etc)
• hazardous household waste (medicines, aerosols, paint, household cleaners, weed-killers and fertilisers)
For more guidance on recycling and disposal of items, you can check out www.mywaste.ie and recycling domestic waste (citizensinformation.ie).
Whilst it is great that soft plastics can now be recycled, ideally it is best to try to reduce our waste and the amount that we need to recycle in the first place. We will look at this topic further in the next edition of the SandMill News. If you have any tips or recommendations regarding this topic then please share them with me on e-mail rachyharris@gmail.com. Rachel Richardson