The people of Clare are being urged to play their part in preventing the amount of waste generated leading up to and during the Christmas period.
Clare County Council is reminding members of the public that items that cannot be reused, repaired or upcycled can be brought to one of five Clare’s recycling facilities.
“I am delighted that the Council’s Environment Section is issuing important advice to the public on how they can minimise the impact of their Christmas on the environment,” said Mayor of Clare, Councillor Michael Begley.
He continued, “The people of Clare are very aware of the amount of waste particularly plastic waste that is being produced and the need for us all to reduce amount of waste we are generating in the first instance. In particular, people should be vigilant and ensure that they only use the services of authorised waste collectors”
“With the Christmas holidays comes lots of extra packaging, particularly in the home,” explained Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer, Clare County Council.
She continued, “Where packaging cannot be reused or upcycled much of this packaging can be recycled, however. A new online service mywaste.ie designed as the one-stop-shop for all matters relating to domestic waste and recycling is now available. Developed by Ireland’s three regional waste management offices this is a great resource to help answer questions for those that are unsure what waste can be recycled.”
“The public are reminded that for as little as €5.00 a car load of recyclable material can be brought to Clare’s recycling centres and transfer stations at Ballyduffbeg, Lisdeen, Shannon, Scariff and Ennis and that that bottles and aluminium cans can be brought for free to one of dozens of bring banks around Clare.
“We are reminding the public to keep these bring bank sites clean and tidy by depositing only bottles and aluminium cans into the banks. Boxes, bags or other materials used to carry recyclables must be taken home,” added Ms. Foley. “Bring banks are serviced regularly. However there is huge demand on sites at this time of year. Where bring banks are full, alternatives sites should be used. We thank the public for their co-operation.”
14 Tips to Prevent and Reduce Your Waste This Christmas:
1. Choose products with less packaging. Say no to excess packaging.
2. Buy experiences rather than gifts!
3. Cook your present! – invite friends over for dinner as a present and prepare a special meal of their favourite foods.
4. More gift ideas – other great gift ideas include upcycled Christmas tree decorations, native trees vouchers, solar powered radios and torches, energy saving light bulbs, aid for development work overseas, or a home composter.
5. Offset extra miles – give a tree or garden plant as a gift to help offset the extra miles travelled at Christmas.
6. Buy a battery charger – avoid gifts which require batteries, or purchase a battery recharger and rechargeable batteries.
7. E-cards – Why not send a festive e-card instead of a paper one, or make your own from paper and textile scraps you find around the house
8. Alternative wrapping – Try alternative wrappings like newspaper, old material and string or ribbon that can be reused. Or consider gift bags as they can be reused over and over.
9. Shopping bags – Bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Say no to plastic bags.
10. Make a list! – Make a shopping list so you’re not tempted to buy things you don’t really need or want.
11. Low food air miles – Shop for locally produced food or fair trade labels. Challenge yourself to make dinner entirely from locally produced produce.
12. Food for thought – At least 30% of all the food we buy is thrown out! Visit www.stopfoodwaste.iefor inspiring ideas on how to shop smarter for food over the festive period as well as recipes for what to do with leftovers.
13. Recycle – remember to use your dry recyclable collection provided by your waste collector – for a list of what can recycled visit www.mywaste.ie/. To prevent contamination in the household recycling bin it is important to ensure that items being placed in this bin are clean, empty and loose. You can also use your local bottle bank and/or Recycling Centre.
14. Buying presents – buy locally produced gifts, you’re supporting local jobs and helping the environment by reducing air miles. Treat someone to an “experience present” such as theatre or concert tickets, evening classes, restaurant vouchers, etc. to cut down on Christmas packaging.
Details regarding recycling centre locations, opening times and recycling costs are available from www.clarecoco.ie.