Recycling rant...

galah

Hi all,

just a question - why are there no paper and cardboard containers anywhere (at least in Galway)? I know some people have paper bins - we don't, we use 'all for one' rubbish bags supplied by a company, and it sickens me that I have to throw all the paper and cardboard in there (not only because this fills up the bags quite fast, but also to see that so much recyclable stuff ends up on the landfill...)

Is this country really THAT backward? I mean, fair enough, "ecologically advanced" countries like Germany may take it a touch too far with their 17 bins for every recyclable object imaginable (like you have a bin for joghurt containers, and one for the metal lids, never mind the compost bags, general waste bins, plastic, paper, glass...), but I get the feeling that there is no effort (or only a very shallow one) made at all here - heck, there aren't even provisions for battery recycling...

Also, in other countries, you can recycle "rubbish" straight in the supermarket - that way you don't have to take all the unwanted packaging home (like plastic wraps for fruit, etc) - which in turn forces the producers to think about their packaging, since shops will put the pressure on if they have to recycle more stuff...How come this isn't done here?


And on the same topic, I just heard that we stopped recycling plastic - plastic (at least in the company I'm working for) will as of now go into the paper bins...

Seriously, am I the only one who thinks this is wrong???

Lots of questions....

Dermot2468

Here in edenderry we have great recycling facilities, €2 in to a civic amenity centre and they take nearly everything I think its run by greenstar. Its very well ran and there is someone there the whole time to help and to advise on what goes where, So they do know how to do it.
Info on bottom of page 3 here https://www.offaly.ie/yourcouncil/offalycountycouncil/services/environment/Leaflets/Green%20Scene%20Autumn%202005.pdf

Its a pity they cant build one in every town, theres an electon coming up so make sure to let them know.

karen3212

I completely agree with you. It is an absolute disgrace, there is no incentive to recycle in the first place either. We've been asking our waste collectors for a recycle bin for a year. At present we use plastic bags that are torn open by the neighbours cats and are blown all over the place when left outside for the morning.
I don't understand why recycling isn't free, we pay the same for recycling as we do for other rubbish. Why oh why aren't we charged more for normal rubbish and subsidized for our recycleable stuff.

Cabaal

karen3212 wrote:

I don't understand why recycling isn't free, we pay the same for recycling as we do for other rubbish. Why oh why aren't we charged more for normal rubbish and subsidized for our recycleable stuff.

Because that would make sense, at the end of the day.

In order to get the average lazy joe to recycle you need to hit them where it hurts (the pocket), so put things in place so almost anything that can be recycled is recycled and then put the charges on general waste so that it'll hit people where it hurts.