If you have tried to reduce your consumption and reuse what you can, then the next step in a products journey is (hopefully) to be recycled.
‘Recycling means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations.’1
Here are guidelines for recycling in Ireland 2
The following can go in your recycling bin or be brought to a recycling centre:
- all plastics
- paper & cardboard
- tins, cans & foil
Repak have made a handy poster recycling guide.
Glass can be recycled at your local bottle bank. Electrical items are not allowed in your household recycling bin. You can dispose of them at your local WEEE collection point. Batteries and bulbs should go to your local drop off point too.
Here is information on the recycling and bring centre’s around Ireland.
Ireland’s waste generation continues to increase, showing we are still part of the “take, make, use, and waste” economy.
A recent OECD study found that Ireland has a circular material use rate of 1.8 per cent, relative to an EU average of 12.8% . The EPA recommend that we need to move to a circular economy where resources are re-used, repaired or recycled as much as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised.
Packaging waste in Ireland alone was 1,124,917 tonnes in 2019 and over a million tonnes the previous three years also. If you really have to buy something, look for the less packaged item – ie bulk foods, or paper packaging as opposed to plastic. And always recycle it.
References:
1: EC.europa.eu. (n.d.). Glossary: Recycling of waste. [online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Recycling_of_waste#:~:text=Recycling%20of%20waste%20is%20defined. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?
2. What can I recycle? | Repak. (n.d.). Repak.ie. https://repak.ie/recycling/what-can-i-recycle/
[accessed 25 January 2023].
3. EPA (2021) Waste packaging statistics for Ireland
Available: https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring–assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/packaging/ [accessed 25 January 2023].