There’s been a big change to the household recycling rules for Ireland.
All plastic packaging – including soft plastic – can now be disposed of in your household recycling bin, once it is ‘clean, dry and loose.’
It comes in the wake of technology upgrades at recycling centres in Ireland.
Any plastics which can’t be recycled will be separated at these centres and used to make Solid Recovered Fuel which can replace fossil fuels at cement kilns.
When it comes to throwing away items that we no longer need it is so important that we separate our waste in the right way. There are many people who do not actually realise how important it is and often ask the question… “Why is it important to separate waste?”
The short answer to this question is that if we do not separate our waste when we are throwing it away, we are throwing everything directly into landfill.
Having rubbish sit around in a landfill is serious business as items that are contained within a landfill release toxic gases like methane as they begin to decompose. Methane is 25 times more poisonous than carbon dioxide and is one of the main causes of global warming and climate change.
With everyone making more effort to separate their hard and soft plastics, organic waste, paper and mixed recycling into different bins rather than throwing everything into one rubbish bin we will begin to see a change for the better in our world.
Here’s a quick guide to what you should and should not put in your bins.
What you can put in household Recycle bin
- Paper
- Newspapers & Magazines
- Cardboard (Clean & Dry)
- Phonebooks & Catalogues
- Cereal Boxes
- Steel Food Cans
- Aluminium Drink Cans
- Plastic Bottles
- Tetra Paks (Juice & Milk Cartons)
- Plastic Bottles (Mineral, Milk & Detergent Bottles)
What you can’t put in household Recycle bin
✗ No Glass ✗ No Black Bags ✗ No Food Waste ✗ No Pizza Boxes
What you can put in household Organic Waste bin
- Cooked & Raw Foods
- Kitchen Food Scraps
- Meat, Fish, Poultry & Bones
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Bread, Cakes & Biscuits
- Eggs & Dairy
- Out Of Date Food
- Coffee Grinds & Paper Filters
- Tea Leaves & Tea Bags
- Food Soiled Paper Napkins, Paper Towels & Pizza Boxes
- Plant Trimmings, Cut Flowers & Old Plants
What you can’t put in household Organic Waste bin
✗ No Glass ✗ No Plastic Bags ✗ No Food Packaging
What you can put in household General Waste bin
- All other Non-Compostable, Non-Recyclable, Non-Hazardous Waste
- e.g Ashes
- Bathroom Sanitary Items
- Dirty Plastic
- Crisp Packets
- Plastic Food Wrappers
- Non-CFL Light Bulbs
- Old Stained Clothing
- Toothpaste Tubes
- Tin Foil
- Wax Paper Wrap
What you can’t put in household General Waste bin
✗ No Glass