Clare County Council is urging people to support a sustainable Christmas by preventing waste, reusing the things that we have, and recycling what we or others can no longer use or reuse.
Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer, explains: “Christmas time is a time of year that generates a lot of waste. We all need to move away from the linear model of making, using, consuming, and disposing of our stuff and move to a circular model of keeping things in use for as long as possible through reusing, repairing, upcycling, and sharing, and recycling more. By supporting circular living we reduce our carbon footprint and help preserve our earth’s limited natural resources.”
Ms Foley added: “Whatever cannot be shared, reused or upcycled, much of this can be recycled. When uncertain what can or cannot be recycled this Christmas, make sure to visit www.mywaste.ie. Recyclables can also be brought to one of County Clare’s five recycling centres and transfer stations. A carload of recyclable waste brought to Ballyduffbeg, Lisdeen, Shannon, Scariff and Ennis costs as little as €5.00. Our recycling centre locations, opening times and recycling costs are available at www.clarecoco.ie.”
“Householders can also bring bottles and aluminium cans to our bring banks located around Clare for free,” explains Pat Baker, Executive Engineer, Waste Management Team. “It is important to remember to keep these bring bank sites clean and tidy by depositing only bottles and aluminium cans into the banks during the festive season. Boxes, bags or other materials used to carry recyclables should not be disposed of at the bring bank. Bring banks are serviced regularly. However, there is huge demand on sites at this time of year. Where bring banks are full, alternative sites should be used. We thank people for their co-operation.”
Maria Carey, Executive Engineer, Waste Enforcement Team, added: “While out and about over Christmas enjoying County Clare’s amazing amenities, we are also urging people to always Leave no Trace and, when it comes to litter, either Bin It or Bring It Home. If there is a problem with littering or illegal dumping in your community our Waste Enforcement Team can be contacted at 1800-606706 / 065-6846331 or via email at enviroff@clarecoco.ie.”
Top tips on how we can all support the global goals and have a sustainable and circular Christmas:
- Buy locally produced gifts, you’re supporting local jobs and helping the environment by reducing transport miles.
- Buy experiences rather than gifts! Visit www.visitclare.ie for lots of ideas from around the county.
- Purchase presents second hand from charity shops. This supports worthwhile charities while also reducing consumption.
- Shop for locally produced food or fair trade labels. Challenge yourself to make dinner entirely from locally produced produce.
- Shop locally in your local town or village. Not only does this benefit our environment it also supports local businesses and local jobs that help sustain our local communities.
- Other great gift ideas include upcycled Christmas tree decorations, native tree vouchers, solar powered radios and torches, energy saving light bulbs.
- Avoid gifts which require batteries, or purchase a battery recharger and rechargeable batteries. Remember batteries and all waste electrical equipment can be recycled for free – https://erp-recycling.org/ie/
- 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.
- Bring your own reusable bags when shopping. Say no to excess packaging.
- Make a shopping list so you’re not tempted to buy things you don’t really need or want.
- At least 30% of all the food we buy is thrown out! Visit www.stopfoodwaste.ie for inspiring ideas on how to shop smarter for food over the festive period as well as recipes for what to do with leftovers.
- Remember to use your dry recyclable and food waste collection provided by your waste collector. If unsure what can be 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, dry and loose. You can also use your local bottle bank and/or recycling centre. Our recycling centre locations, opening times and recycling costs are available at www.clarecoco.ie
Clare County Council’s Environmental Awareness Officer Karen Foley spoke on promoting a Sustainable Christmas on Clare FM’s ‘Ours To Protect’ series.