Environment « Thurles Information

Ireland Missing Opportunities To Foster Circular Economy.

More packaging waste, plus falling recycling rates for plastic, together with a heavy reliance on exports, mean that Ireland is missing opportunities to foster a circular economy.

Ireland generated over 1.1 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2019, an increase of 11% on 2018 and the third year in a row it has exceeded one million tonnes.
Largest increases were seen in the generation of plastic and paper/cardboard packaging waste.
Less than one third (28%) of Ireland’s plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2019, with almost all remaining plastic packaging being sent for incineration.
The share of plastic packaging waste incinerated for energy recovery has grown year on year from 44 % in 2017 to 69% in 2019.
We need to rethink how we make, transport and use products, cutting down on unnecessary packaging and maximising reuse and recycling.
The reintroduction of soft plastics to Ireland’s recycling list and the forthcoming deposit return scheme for plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans are positive steps towards increasing Ireland’s collection of packaging waste for recycling.

The EPA has today published its latest figures on packaging waste in Ireland. They indicate that Ireland generated over 1.1 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2019, up 11 per cent on 2018. This is the third year in a row that packaging waste in Ireland has exceeded one million tonnes. Most of this consisted of plastic and paper/cardboard, with smaller amounts of glass, wood and metal packaging. Almost all plastic and paper/cardboard, and most metal packaging waste, was sent abroad for recycling.

The data shows that while Ireland continued to meet all current EU targets and achieved high recycling rates in some packaging material streams, in particular glass, paper/cardboard and wood, we are seeing negative trends continue in other areas. Less than a third (28%) of Ireland’s plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2019, while the share of plastic packaging that Ireland incinerates has grown year-on-year and now stands at 69 %.

The data indicate the increase in plastic packaging recycled is offset by an even greater increase in the amounts of packaging waste being generated and incinerated and, as a result, Ireland’s recycling rates have shown a generally declining trend since 2013.

Commenting on the figures, Ms Sharon Finegan, (Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability), has stated:
“The latest EPA data highlight the need for Ireland to implement measures at policy, industry and individual level to halt the rise in packaging waste. Businesses need to place less packaging on the market. We need to rethink how we make, transport and use products and move to a system where unnecessary packaging is avoided and any remaining packaging is designed either for re-use or recycling. Policy commitments to support this shift such as those outlined in Ireland’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy need to be implemented without delay”.

The data also shows opportunities for improvement as many readily recyclable plastic items, such as drinks bottles, are still being put in the general waste bin and then end up being incinerated instead of recycled.

EPA Senior Scientist Dr. Tara Higgins noted:
“In 2019, over 13,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging and nearly 39,000 tonnes of recyclable plastic were sent for incineration. Improving how we separate waste at home, in businesses and on-the-go can have a big impact on Ireland’s recycling rate. Allowing soft plastics such as films and wraps into our recycling bins and new deposit-return schemes are positive actions that are now being rolled out to support an increase in the capture of high quality material for recycling into new products”.

Reversing these trends requires action, including:

implementation of the Waste Action Plan and forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy;
targeted measures to phase out packaging that is difficult to recycle , including implementation and enforcement of bans and restrictions on certain single use plastics;
implementation of eco design
improved waste segregation and collection systems such as deposit return schemes, and
a broader list of materials that are accepted for recycling by waste operators, building on the recent acceptance of soft plastics in recycling bins.

Further information on the latest packaging data for Ireland and associated infographic is available on the EPA Website.

For further information: Contact Emily Williamson/Aileen Moon, EPA Media Relations Office: Tel: 053-91 70770 (24 hours) and media@epa.ie

Tipp. Co. Co’s Super Mattress Bonus Give-Away Begins Tomorrow.

Tipperary County Council’s Mattress Bonus Give-Away

Local Councillors and a Senior Executive Officer from “Environment and Climate Action”, stationed within the local Tipperary Authority, rushed out last week to announce on Facebook; on Local Radio and on local Press that an opportunity had arisen to dispose of unwanted mattresses at Civic Amenity sites across Tipperary.

With politicians on holiday, news and political self-promotional announcements, within Tipperary as a whole, were down to a mere trickle at the end of August. It was no surprise therefore that Local Radio; Local Press, together with Local Councillors, all of whom do not get out much anymore, should go into a ‘feeding frenzy’, with news of this “Super Mattress Bonus Give-Away” announcement, taking place only during the month of September 2021.

Well actually folks, readers need to read the fine print, it is only happening on 3 days during September – note 3 dates, are Friday 10th; Friday 17th and Friday 24th.

This event is being lauded as part of Tipperary County Council’s new anti-dumping initiative, with the mattresses to be taken in free of charge at Civic Amenity sites, instead of at the normal costs of €20 for a double mattress and €18 for a single.

You will remember that previously, the council, had discussed equipping themselves with MQ-9 Reaper drones to identify and annihilate fly tippers. One hoped that sufficient training would be given to councillors, when R9-X variant missiles were being used, so as to avoid collateral damage to ordinary unemployed local civilians. [Well you saw what happened recently in landlocked Afghanistan.]

OK, let’s examine the logic of this great “Tipperary County Council “September Mattress Bonus Saver”.

Firstly Remember, Thurles is the only town in all of Co. Tipperary that does not have a Council Civic Amenity Site, despite the town currently having the second largest population in the county. (Estimated Population 10,000). The result is that Thurles residents must therefore use the facilities enjoyed by other more influential upmarket towns in Co. Tipperary.

Clonmel (Estimated Population 17,500) Civic Amenity Site: Mattresses accepted only on Friday, September 17th, 2021 only from 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm at their Carrigeen facility, Business Park, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
The return trip to Thurles is 99 km taking approximately 90 min driving time.

Nenagh (Estimated Population 9,500) Civic Amenity Site: Mattresses accepted on Friday September 10th, 2021 only, from 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm, at their Limerick Rd, facility, Stereame, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.
The return trip to Thurles town is 80km taking approximately 80 min driving time.

Roscrea (Estimated Population 5,500) Civic Amenity Site: Mattresses accepted also on Friday September 10th, 2021 only from 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm at their Roscrea Civic Amenity Site, on Dublin Road, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.
The return trip to Thurles is 70km, taking approximately 80 min driving time.

Donohill Tipperary (Estimated Population 5,500) Civic Amenity Site: Mattresses accepted only on Friday September 24th, 2021, from 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm at their Garryshane facility. Donohill, Co. Tipperary.
The return trip to Thurles is 70 km, taking approximately 75min driving time.

And finally, Cashel (Estimated Population 4,500) Civic Amenity Site: Mattresses accepted only on Friday September 24th, 2021, only from 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm at their Wallers’ Lot facility Clonmel Road, Cashel, Co. Tipperary.
The return trip to Thurles is 50 km, taking approximately 45 min driving time.

Mattress Transport:
Since double or indeed single spring or memory foam mattresses will not fit in most motor vehicles; a van or trailer is actually required to transport your mattress.

Then the first three questions that you need to ask yourself is:- (1) “Do I own a car or is the husband or wife gone to Dublin to work, using it”? (2) “Have I got a hitch on my car”?, and finally (3) “Do I hold a licence to tow a trailer”?

With Irish Amazon’s ‘fulfilment centre’, set to create 500 jobs, no longer coming to the Munster Hotel area in Thurles, thanks to useless self-promoting and nest feathering politicians, can the man or woman in your life inform their Dublin employer that “I need to take Friday off, to get rid of a badly stained double or single (or both), mattress“?

[Of course if you work in the Public Service, you should be OK. Unlike every other employment in our State you will be allowed, without question, to “pull a 3 day sicky” a couple of times each year, without a request for a medical practitioner‘s cert.]

Since we are informed that a maximum of 4 mattresses are only allowed per customer, how will they know that 4 mattresses were not brought to more than one Civic Amenity facility?

Will the neighbouring counties of Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Offaly, Laois, Galway and Kilkenny, jump at the opportunity to suddenly traverse our badly defended borders, using false addresses and spreading the Covid-19 virus, in their effort to rid themselves of their smudged, splattered and urine blemished mattresses?

Assuming that you now use one of the many individuals currently licenced to operate a “material recovery business”, (latter businesses of which there are many in Thurles), a brief check today confirms that one double mattress and one single, cost €40 in transport costs.

Now, I can see why people wait until after dark to dump their trash out in the wilds of Templetuohy bog; in Littleton bog or here in Thurles on the “Double Ditch”, before then setting it alight to avoid detection through letters and other paper being accidentally included; thus causing “Wild Fires”.

However, what now leaves me suffering from cold sweats late at night, is the thought that the back office individual who dreamed up this great ‘Tipperary Council Super Bonus Giveaway’, could actually get elevated to a higher station, when their next annual increment is given the “nod and the wink”.

Proposed Upgrade Of Loughtagalla Park, Thurles.

Proposed Upgrade Of Loughtagalla Park – Supported By Sicap Under Their Empowering Communities Action.

Ms Breada Ryan, Community Development Worker, North Tipperary Development Company Reports.

North Tipperary Development Company under their Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, in conjunction with Loughtagalla Residents Group, came together in 2018 to develop a 3–5 year plan. The first objective of this plan is to upgrade the facilities of their local park.

The main purpose of the project is to develop people and child friendly facilities, considering all age groups and in particular children and young people with intellectual, sensory, and special needs as well as the social needs of older people.

North Tipperary Development Company engaged the services of Ron de Brun of Silva Build Cork, to develop a set of Concept drawings for the upgrade of the park. To progress, NTDC decided to carry out a survey in July 2019 to get community agreement on the key priorities for the Loughtagalla area.

These survey findings identified plainly that the community very much welcomed the proposal to develop the park, which visualized a mixture of active and passive recreation areas, areas for quiet contemplation and more robust play, enhanced play equipment for younger children.

The provision of a sensory garden was supported to address issues of social inclusion and provide the first such garden for Thurles and its hinterland. The use of a modern form of design in the provision of equipment developed around the theme of biodiversity was another highly preferred option. All these ideas were considered to progress the design to the next stage.

Work has been continued behind the scenes by a dedicated subgroup to progress to the next stage, seeking planning permission for the development. A planning application was prepared and submitted in late summer to Tipperary County Council and permission was granted in late autumn of 2020.

During early 2021 a lot of work took place to prepare for a Request for Tender which was advertised on E- Tenders, latter the Irish Government’s electronic tendering platform administered by the Office of Government Procurement.

Concurrently the steering subgroup also assisted with material for a promotional video (See above) which was funded by the North Tipperary Development Company and co-ordinated by their SICAP Worker. This video completed in July 2021 will be used to support the Loughtagalla Park & Residents Committee fundraising activities to source the elocal contribution of €40,000.

Thurles Readers – Get Your Watering Cans Out!

It’s time for Thurles gardeners to get their watering cans out and their Factor 50+ on again, because Tipperary is set to enjoy an unexpected spell of warm September sunshine.

A warm plume of air is credited with bringing summer-like conditions to our shores this Autumn. From now until Wednesday, temperatures are set to hit highs of between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius.

Be sure and make the most of this dry spell, because it is not expected to stay with us for very long. Scattered outbreaks of rain, coming from the south, are set to hit us here in Co. Tipperary as early as Thursday next.

With Autumn leaves already starting to fall, this joyous bout of summer sunshine may be our last for many months.

All Soft Plastics Acceptable In Household Recycling Bins.

Currently here in Ireland we were recycling less than one third of all plastic packaging waste, but now all clean plastic packaging waste including black plastic sacks, all of which is soft plastic, can be placed in Ireland’s household recycling bins, together with the already acceptable more rigid plastic.

Same has come about due to advancements in technology at Irish recycling facilities, thus making waste segregation much more straight forward for every householder and service provider.

Ireland has been committed to increasing its plastic packaging recycling figure to 50% by 2025 and to 55% by 2030 and this announcement is observed as being a significant step towards achieving Ireland’s future targets.

Until now only hard plastics, such as plastic bottles and food trays, have been acceptable for recycling, however the emphasis with regards to soft packaging will be on the word “clean“.

Deposit scheme for plastic bottles and cans!

A long overdue deposit scheme for plastic bottles and cans will also be introduced next year and this will see a deposit charged for each can or bottle purchased, which is then refunded when the empty container is brought back to the retailer. Previously here on Thurles.Info we highlighted Ireland’s failure in this respect in April 2018.