Recycling giant Repak is calling on all Galway people to recycle better and avoid contamination.
The recycling centre will launch its 16th annual Repak Recycling Week on September 5, and is encouraging all customers to be extra vigilant when it comes to the age old dilemma - rubbish bin or recycling bin?
In a 2015 study, almost 40 per cent of recycling bins in urban areas were contaminated, and 70 per cent of Irish users admitted contaminating recycling bins, sometime unknowingly, with nappies, grass cuttings, food waste, and cigarette butts. Nine out of every 10 people claim to know what goes into a recycling bin, yet seven in 10 continue to throw incorrect items into the green bins.
"For this year’s RRW, we are placing huge importance on waste contamination, making it the focal point of the 2016 campaign," said marketing and communications manager Laura Murphy. "Our research shows that Irish people want to be green, but a knowledge gap on the facts of waste contamination exists, preventing them from being good recyclers. If your bin is contaminated with rubbish or dirty recyclables, it makes the recycling process a lot more difficult. We are all in this together, let’s change for the better, and take the time to ensure what we put into our recycling bin is both clean and correct."
The main theme of RRW 2016 is contamination, and reducing the amount of residual waste being dumped in recycling bins. Items affected by contamination are sent to landfills and not recycled, causing considerable damage to the environment. For more information of recyclables, and what can be recycled, visit www.repak.ie
