Soft Plastics now accepted in your recycle bin
What?
A soft plastic is any type of plastic that you can scrunch in your hand.
Where?
This item is categorised as a soft plastic and can be placed in your recycle bin.
How?
Plastic items placed in your recycling bin need to be clean, dry and loose. This means there should be no food or liquids left on/in your plastic items, and you should place all the items loosely in the bin and not in plastic bags or stuffed into other materials such as boxes.
If you are unable to ensure this then the item should be placed in your general waste bin
Why?
Soft plastics are now accepted in the recycling bin due to advancements in technologies at recycling facilities in Ireland and access to new markets where this material can be processed.
General Comment / Tip
All of your soft plastics can go in the recycle bin, if the plastic types are currently recyclable and we have access to markets they will be sent to specialised, polymer specific recycling facilities. If they are not currently recyclable they will be sent for energy recovery through Solid Residual Fuel (SRF) production for cement plants.
The waste that we throw away can be re-used or recycled. Materials like paper, cardboard, cans and glass can easily be recycled to make new ones, instead of sending them to landfill where they stay and can take thousands of years to disappear! Even the smallest changes to your recycling habits can make a big difference. You can begin with small and simple steps such as separating out easily recyclable materials like paper, cardboard plastic and cans for your green bin thereby reducing the amount of your waste that ends up in general waste.
Log on to stopfoodwaste.ie for some really interesting tips on how to reduce the amount of food you throw out. ⅓ of the food we buy can end up going in the bin. The average home is wasting approximately €1,000 per year on food that they end up throwing out.
Check out www.breakitdown.ie to better understand the food waste cycle. Want to keep your compost bin as clean as possible? Our top tip is to line the bottom of the bin in newspaper to stop food waste compacting. This makes it easier for the contents to fall out of the bin when it is being emptied.
What’s the best way to put food into the compost bin?
Keep a small bin inside the house and line it with a bio-bag. Transfer to the larger bin once full or alternatively wrap your food waste in newspaper and place it in the bin.
Want to reduce the amount of waste you put in your bins?
When out shopping, buy goods with minimal packaging. Buy your fruit loose instead of in containers. Only buy what you need. Try to avoid going shopping when hungry because you will always buy more than you need!
Donate books, clothes, furniture and toys to charity shops.
When printing documents, change your print settings to double sided to reduce the amount of paper you use.
Learn more about waste and recycling and what better way to do it than through the internet – a medium that creates no waste at all! Click on any of the following links for a deeper look:
Ireland’s official guide to managing your waste. Here you will find everything you need to know about how to manage your waste responsibly and efficiently
A national campaign highlighting ways that you can make a difference.
Simple steps and pointers for parents, children and teachers.
The Environment Protection Agency: all you need to know about protecting and improving the natural environment.
The Department of the Environment: overall responsibility for waste and recycling. Rehab recycling
Ireland’s premier post-consumer waste recycler.
Ireland’s first voluntary initiative between the industry and the Department of the Environment.
The European Environmental Agency: a European perspective on waste and recycling. Even the smallest changes to your recycling habits can make a big difference. You can begin with small and simple steps such as separating out easily recyclable materials like paper, cardboard plastic and cans for your green bin thereby reducing the amount of your waste that ends up in general waste.