Acorn Autumn 2005
Athy Recycling Centre opens for business!
Kildare County Council is delighted to announce that the second Recycling Centre in the county has opened. This facility in Athy enables the people of south Kildare to easily recycle a wide range of items- from electrical goods and household hazardous waste to plastic bottles and green waste.
There is a charge for some items (to cover the cost of recycling) and other items are free to the householder. The free items are as follows:
Paper, cardboard, plastics (grades 1,2 and 4), tetrapaks, glass (including flat glass), metal cans, clothing and textiles, electrical items, lightbulbs (strip lighting and energy-saving lightbulbs) and mobile phones.
The Centre will also accept the following items for a charge- (this is to cover the cost of recycling and/or disposal):
Timber, bulky items, general waste, soil, stones, metals, green garden waste, gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, waste oils and household hazardous waste
The charges apply based on the size of vehicle- ask at the centre for more information.
The centre is located at Gallows Hill, Athy (behind the King Oil service station on the Dublin road). It is open Mon to Sat 9 am to 4 pm (closed 1-2 pm) and closed Sundays and Bank Holidays. Contact them at 059 8640657, or email .
The Mayor Speaks
The Mayor of County Kildare, Councillor John McGinley is very concerned about the damage being done to our towns and countryside by people dumping. He calls it a crime against the community. Here is what he wishes to say………..
Dumping at recycling banks is increasing nationally and Kildare is not immune from this problem. A number of recycling sites in Kildare have been lost in the past year due to illegal dumping of household and commercial waste. Kildare County Council relies on landowners to provide sites in convenient locations, so when a recycling site is repeatedly subjected to dumping it is understandable that the landowners want to have the banks removed.
I would like to make a special plea to the people of Kildare not to tolerate dumping. Apart from the recycling banks, illegal dumping is also taking places at well-known beauty spots such as Connolly's Folly in Maynooth. This is unacceptable behaviour by some irresponsible people, while the majority of the citizens of Kildare are rightly appalled by dumping.
The Council is playing its part; CCTV is going to be used on some recycling banks to catch the offenders and heavy fines (up to €3000) will be issued through the courts. But the people of Kildare also have their part to play. If you witness illegal dumping, please contact our freephone litter hotline: 1800 243 143.
Let's keep Kildare clean for everybodys sake
Recycling electrical goods
You may have heard that since August, a new system has been put in place to enable people to recycle electrical waste. This has come about as a result of new rules in the E.U. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is a piece of European legislation which requires member states to improve the way they manage our electrical and electronic waste and also to encourage manufacturers to develop more environmentally friendly products.
Consumers now have two options when disposing of waste electrical equipment:
1. If you buy a new product the retailer must provide free in-store take back of household waste electrical equipment on a one for one basis on the sale of a new product e.g. they are not obliged to accept a microwave if the customer has purchased a toaster. This also applies if buying from on-line from a retailer in Ireland.
2. Take them to a Local Authority Recycling Centre. In Kildare, you can bring electrical waste to:
Silliot Hill / Kilcullen / 045 481946 / Mon-Sat 8-4 Closed 1-2Gallows Hill / Athy / 059 8640657 / Mon-Sat 9-4 closed 1-2
There is no charge to householders for disposing of electrical goods here.
Retailers are obliged to take back similar electrical waste items, but they are entitled to apply an environmental management charge to pay for the recycling of the item that you purchase. This must appear on the receipt so you know how much you are being charged.
For more information, check out our website: www.kildare.ie/countycouncil/environment/recycling
Pay by use in Kildare
You are probably aware at this stage that Kildare County Council has brought in a "pay by use" system for its refuse collection customers. This means that every time you leave out your bin, you must put a tag on it. Most people have become used to the new system. Some people are still a bit unsure of the details- so here is how it works:
You should have received your bill for this year at this stage- there is a standing charge of €185 for the standard wheelbin (240 litre bin) or €140 for the smaller (140 litre bin). Once the standing charge is paid, you will receive your annual sticker- this is permanently fixed to your bin. In addition, you must put a tag on your bin EACH TIME YOU LEAVE IT OUT FOR EMPTYING- €7 for the standard bin or €5 for the smaller one. These are available from a large number of outlets- check in your locality for more information. You should also remember that paying for refuse charges qualifies you for some tax relief- you must keep the stubs from each of the tags to prove that you have paid the charges.
So what does it mean for you?
Here is the breakdown of how much you will pay for leaving out the bin for emptying over the course of year, based on the standing charge and tag system from March 1st 2005:
Bin size / Every week / Every fortnight / Every three weeks / MonthlyStandard bin / €493 / €339 / €290 / €255
Small bin / €360 / €250 / €215 / €190
As you can see, there is a clear incentive to reduce the number of times you leave the bin out! The important thing when thinking about is to remember the Three Rs-
Reduce Reuse Recycle:
· Firstly, reduce the amount of waste you are producing. Check the amount of packaging waste you are putting into the refuse bin- and try to choose alternative products with less wrapping. An obvious example is mushrooms- you can buy them in plastic punnets with plastic wrap, in cardboard punnets, in plastic bags or in paper bags. If you buy them in the paper bag, the only waste is a small bag that can be put in the recycling bin (or better still- in the compost bin). In general, fruit and veg should be bought loose and put into a plastic bag only if necessary- do try to avoid buying them in trays or punnets- these cannot be recycled and can be quite bulky when put into the bin. Breakfast cereals usually come in a plastic bag- most cereals are then placed in a cardboard box- so it is usually possible to reduce packaging here also.
Even if you cannot avoid buying something, you can still REDUCE the amount of space it takes up- milk and juice cartons should be washed and squashed as should all your plastic bottles (even when they are going into the recycling bin).
· Next, you should REUSE as much waste as possible. Some examples of this would include using glass jars to store items like nails, fuses and similar items. Yoghurt pots can be used to grow seedlings in. This also means that things should be repaired before being disposed. Many electrical items can be repaired easily for example. Many household items can be donated to a charity shop- but only donate items that are in good condition- charities have to pay to dispose of waste items that they cannot use, so instead of helping the charity, you might actually be costing them money!
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· Finally, what you cannot reduce or reuse- you RECYCLE! There are four easy ways of recycling in Kildare:
· Your own recycling bin at home is suitable for paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, drinks cans and food tins. Approximately 350 tonnes of waste are being recycled every month by Kildare County Council customers.
· A compost bin will allow you to recycle some of your kitchen and garden waste.
· Your local recycling banks will accept your glass bottles and jars as well as aluminium drinks cans.
· A lot of other materials for recycling can be brought to our Recycling Centres in Athy and Kilcullen.
Race Against Waste Campaign (RAW logo.jpg)
You've seen the ads on TV- now check out the website! The Race Against Waste website is full of useful information on dealing with waste in Ireland. Whether you are a householder, are in a small or large business or you are in school, this site provides you with a wealth of useful tips, contacts with other organisations. You can even sign-up to receive a free e-zine to keep you up to date.
Check it out at www.raceagainstwaste.com
GET COMPOSTING! (keep all composting items on one page and give distinct border)
Composting is becoming increasingly popular as people try to do their bit and reduce waste. Did you know that Kildare County Council sells compost bins at cost price of €40?
(carbery composter.jpg)
These bins are a great way of reducing waste- from vegetable and fruit peels, teabags, grass clippings as well as some cardboard and paper. This will also help to reduce your refuse charges. They will fit in almost any garden and are very easy to manage. Apart from reducing waste, you will also get good compost for your garden- saving you even more money! You don't even have to buy a compost bin- many people use old barrels or other items to make their own.
An additional option is to get a rotating composter. These composters usually come on a frame and you manually turn the composting bin. This has the effect of aerating the contents faster than in a 'static' or fixed bin. They usually cost more, but if you want the compost sooner, this option may be worth considering.
If you are very keen on composting, you may be interested in worm composting. There are two main differences between 'ordinary' composting and worm composting: (worm cartoon.bmp)
· Regular composting relies on bacteria (that occur naturally in the soil) to decompose waste- worm composting requires a sealed container that prevents the worms from leaving.
· Regular composting will provide you with just compost. Worm composting also provides (through a tap at the bottom of the container) compost 'tea'- a rich liquid fertiliser. This is a very useful addition to any gardener.
You can make your own worm composting kit, and they are also available commercially.
The following websites provide useful information about different aspects of composting:
www.eco-ireland.com
www.growgreensolutions.com
www.compostireland.ie/composting.html
Community composting in action (community composting.jpg)
The Tidy Towns groups in Moone/Timolin and Castledermot have taken a positive step in waste management. Realising that sending grass clippings from their green areas to landfill was not the best solution, these groups decided that composting was the way forward. Kildare County Council asked Conservation Volunteers of Ireland to design and build composting units using reclaimed timber treated with linseed oil. A clever design feature is the plastic pipe running up through the three composting bays. This pipe is perforated to increase the amount of air circulating through the grass clippings. The grass clippings are mixed with newspaper to produce a good quality compost. One bay is filled at a time, and by the time the third bay is being filled- the first bay is ready to be emptied of its compost. Not only does this reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, it also saves the Tidy Towns group some money on buying compost!! It is also a very practical demonstration of sustainable development, where a community is looking to the future and dealing with waste in a sensible manner.
The Council hopes that other community groups, residents associations and tidy towns groups will use similar composting units to deal with their green waste- the design of the bin is quite simple and the materials do not cost a lot of money. The Council welcomes enquiries from community groups on projects of this type.
Composting survey results
The Council recently asked people who had already purchased compost bins from the Council about how they are getting on with their composting bins. The results make interesting reading:
· People from all over Kildare are composting- 23% of people are living in urban areas, 40% in suburban and 37% in rural.
· 84% would recommend a compost bin to their friends.
· 91% considered the compost from the compost bin as "excellent" to "fair".
· Most people are using the compost bin properly:
Veg and fruit / 96%Grass clippings / 85%
Paper and cardboard / 45%
Teabags and tealeaves / 88%
Egg shells / 76%
Other garden waste / 89%
· The one very surprising result is that less than half of the people are adding paper or cardboard, which of course is essential for good compost. Paper, cardboard or similar are essential to get good quality compost- toilet roll tubes, cardboard egg boxes, paper towels, newspapers (not glossy magazines) and similar materials are ideal. It should be shredded as much as possible and mixed in well with the green waste.
Schools Page (keep to one page)
Green Schools (green-schools.bmp)
Why join the Green-Schools programme?
With 73 out of 130 schools in Kildare registered for the Green-Schools programme and 30 with the Green Flag it may be a good time to pause for a moment to ask why should a school become involved in the programme? We all know that in a general sense, the Green-Schools programme must be "good"- but why?
An Taisce conducted some research into this area and came up with some surprising answers: