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KERRY County Council and the Southern Regional Waste Management Planning Office are highlighting the role that everyone in Kerry can play in reducing waste during Waste Awareness Week which runs from next Monday to Friday, November 16-20.
An online publicity campaign will focus on the facilities available at Kerry’s five Civic Amenity Sites as well as practical steps which householders can take to reduce waste and increase recycling with the provision of up-to-date information on reusing, reducing and recycling.
Through a series of online videos and a social media campaign, Kerry County Council will provide information, tips and fun facts each day, relating to different topics of interest or concern, including:
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• Monday, November 16 — Household Hazardous Waste
• Tuesday, November 17 — Reuse of Textiles
• Wednesday, November 18 — Food Waste
• Thursday, November19 — Recycling in Kerry
• Friday, November 20 — Services available at Kerry County’s Civic Amenity Sites
The Council’s Civic Amenity Sites are located in Killarney, Lios Póil, Kenmare, Cahersiveen and Milltown.
Some interesting statistics being highlighted during Waste Awareness Week in Kerry include:
• The majority of Kerry citizens are already involved in some form of waste segregation
• 90% of Kerry households now use a three-bin waste collection service
• There has been an 18% increase in the amount of organic waste collected in three-year period in Kerry
• There has been a 20% increase in the collection and recycling of glass in 2020
• Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, changes in the county’s recycling patterns have been observed
• In April, at the height of the Covid-19 restrictions, the volume of glass, aluminium and steel can tonnage being received at the county’s Bring Banks increased by 28% year on year, a trend that continues seven months on.
• The Bring Bank located at New Street, Killarney, meanwhile, has proven to be the most popular of Kerry’s 95 Bring Banks so far this year.
The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen urged people to think about simple and practical ways they can reduce waste and increase the amount they recycle. “I welcome this week’s initiative with our colleagues in the Regional Waste Management Office. Waste Awareness Week in Kerry will help people become more aware of the civic amenities and services available in the county and how best to avail of them, as well as encouraging people to be more conscious of their responsibilities in the fight against waste. We can each play our part by reusing, reducing and recycling our waste.”
“I urge everyone to join this virtual event and follow Kerry County Council’s Environment Department on Facebook, for all the content and highlights associated with Waste Awareness Week. This platform, along with mywaste.ie will continue to be a resource for the people of County Kerry, helping them to stay informed about the county’s waste management plans and our progression in this area, long after this week’s events are over,” he said.
Director of Services for Environment at Kerry County Council, John Breen added: “Kerry County Council is delighted to host Waste Awareness Week, with the support of the Southern Regional Waste Management Planning Office. We have seen in the past the positive outcomes that can be achieved through such initiatives. For example, a special one-day mattress amnesty was held during 2019 with over 800 mattresses safely disposed, which shows a commitment to recycling when the opportunity and facilities are provided.
“There is no doubt that since the introduction of the Regional Waste Management Plan 2015 the rates of recycling and waste segregation in Kerry has improved significantly, but we still have a way to go if we are to reach EU recycling targets,” he said.
Further information is available on www.kerrycoco.ie, on Kerry County Council’s Environment Department Facebook page or by following the conversation on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #wasteawarenesskerry and#mywaste
