MyWaste, Ireland’s official guide to managing waste, has a new national awareness campaign where they urge members of the public to “take a minute, before you bin it!’ – tackling the disconnect between people’s best intentions and actual binning habits. The campaign is a joint effort between policy makers and the waste industry to foster behavioural change when recycling, including segregating waste. Repak has undertaken similar messaging.
As Ireland transitions to a circular economy, the national initiative highlights how simple individual actions at home, at work or at play, can collectively boost Ireland’s recycling rate. Research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), shows a startling statistic: two-thirds of what ends up in general waste bins could have been recycled or composted. Food waste is the most misplaced item, followed closely by soft plastics.
“With ambitious EU municipal waste recycling targets looming (60 per cent by 2030), this campaign comes at a critical juncture,” Dr Joanne Rourke said. “Here in Ireland, we’re doing well when it comes to recycling, most of the time. By working together – individuals, businesses, and policymakers – we can make strides towards a more sustainable future. And remember, all items in the recycling bin should be clean, dry, and loose.”
What goes where?
Many people remain unsure as to which bin to use when disposing items like food-soiled paper towels (food waste bin), soft plastics (recycling bin – clean, dry, loose), and aluminium trays and foil (also recycling, clean, dry, loose). The food waste bin accepts all types of food including raw and cooked meat and fish, fruit and vegetable peelings, food-soiled paper napkins, paper towels, greasy pizza boxes as well as light garden waste.
Game
The campaign, which is runs in the coming weeks, includes TV, radio, digital and out of home (OOH) advertising, as well as social media discussions using the hashtags #TakeAMinute, #CircularLiving. #CleanDryLoose. To make learning about proper waste disposal more engaging, MyWaste teamed up with Bold Donut to create a fun, interactive waste segregation game, which is available for people to play on MyWaste.ie.
Visit MyWaste.ie for waste sorting guidance.
Chef Donal Skehan with MyWaste’s Dr Joanne Rourke at the campaign launch
