recycling waste segregation

Global Climate Strike..Today 20/09/2019

/in /by

Today, September 20th , is Global Climate Strike Day with students, employees and other interested parties taking to the streets to highlight what we are are doing to our own planet. It is now universally accepted that it is us who are causing climate change via deforestation, excessive use of peticides, excessive use of natural resources and our reluctance to use alternative solutions to existing problems and practices.

But interestingly when one mines beneath this public display of concern, one uncoveres some very unpleasant truths. It is easy indeed to point a finger at governments, big businesses, vested intersts etc. as the main culprits for Climate Change, but unfortunately maybe a more reflective approach should be firstly adopted. Major societal changes occur when self questioning occurs and people recognise that they themselves must change….and change means discomfort.

So when next you purchase an item… do I need it? what is it made of? is it recyclable? can it be repaired? is it a once only use item? do I need the packaging/bag?. And when next you are at home, work or in your student accommodation…. can I recyle this? do I segregate my waste? does our complex/ neighbourhood have proper storage facilities such as bottle banks, segregated waste storage facilities? what waste am I generating every week?

Protesting is a great weapon when used correctly, but self questioning and practicing before preaching is even a greater one. Happy striking today…from the Bear!

Brustibear..or is it Brustibunny is on the Hunt

/in /by

Easter time is upon again and Brustibear has gotten into the spirit of things, donning his Easter outfit and getting ready for the Egg Hunt. As you will see his Eggs are “au naturale”, with minimal packaging and wrapping and anything that he does use to decorate his Eggs, he ensures it is recyclable. This is a perfect time, now that the kids are on holiday, to start being imaginative and get all the family to join in the fun. There are lots of ideas out there, and visiting a site like https://www.womansday.com/home/crafts-projects/g2216/easter-eggs/ unearths a myriad of ideas to keep everyone entertained. So have a Great Easter, be a Good Egg by segregating your waste correctly, and watch out, there may be a Brustibunny passing your way!

BrustiBear..your very own Waste Valentine

/in /by

 

Roses are red and violets are blue

Let me introduce BrustiBear, he will be new to you

He does enjoy red but keeps thinking green

And likes to get everyone into the waste scene

He is cuddly and shy, but still keeps an eye

So don’t break his heart…recycle and smile

And then he will be your Waste Valentine

 

Lots of Scary Bags Still Around..even After Halloween

/in /by

 

One does not normally think of bags at this time of year, unless of course it was Trick or Treat bags at Halloween or Christmas Shopping Bags! But unfortunately some bin manufacturers and suppliers have made an art form of selling bins for which only certain bags will work.

Meanwhile on the other side there are Waste Service Providers who are telling their customers that they can only use “PAPER based bin liners” in their food caddies, which can only be bought are certain outlets. All seems a bit scary!!! It is not good enough for these suppliers that the customer pays for their products and service, but that they also want their customers to provide them with a further ongoing revenue stream by the purchase of unique bespoke bags? In most cases these bespoke bags are not mandatory or required.

This is most certainly NOT the case with Brustibin, which has been designed to eliminate bags for the collection of recyclables, and where any 10 litre compostable bag can be used for both the brown waste and residual waste. Waste disposal can be costly enough without having to purchase bespoke liners and bags.

What would also be of concern is that the bags which some bin suppliers are promoting as being necessary for their bins are not enviromentally friendly. They do not decompose or compost and make life more difficult for the Waste Service Provider. And naturally as they are bespoke they are more expensive than the generic bin liner, which can be bought at your local corner shop.

The generic liner will probably overhang slightly and not fit perfectly, but a bespoke bin deserves a bespoke liner?

It would seem that some Waste Service Providers have also got in on this act by telling their customers that they must use only Paper Liners in their Brown Caddies and Bins. This claim may be somewhat misleading as the following video from Dover District Council shows!

All very SPOOKY indeed….Hah Hah Hah…not very Christmassy…Ho Ho Ho!!

A Different Bag for Every Bin

Bags, Bags and More Bags

 

With Brustibin Everyone Wins

/in /by

We are entering a month long exhibition of the “Beautiful Game” and will no doubt be working our schedules using Russia’s time zones to see what country will be victorious on July 17th. During this period of football mania perhaps we might consider another beautiful game where everyone is a winner, not just one participant. I am of course referring to that beautiful practice of waste segregation and recycling. It is simple to do, has no additional costs yet some householders are either reluctant to do it or are just plain lazy. Everyone wins when we segregate and recycle our waste. Housholders save on waste charges with lighter, drier and cleaner waste, and they feel better afterwards. Waste Service Providers save on costs, as there is less processing involved with segregated waste. Less waste goes to landfill and incineration, saving on valauble and diminishing resources. Wildlife wins with less microbeads in the sea, pollution in the air, and less hazardrous waste on the land. Farmers win with less water and land pollution. Manufacturers win with more recycled raw material available. And the ecconomy wins with less imports of raw materials, and the development of the Circular Ecconomy.

It seems that in this beautiful game, nobody loses!

So over the coming month when you hear football pundits wax lyrically about recycling the ball, perhaps…just perhaps.. a different type of recycling may come to mind. It is after all part and parcel of the Beautiful Game?

Brusti Bear’s Irish call for Segregated Waste

/in /by

With St. Patrick’s weekend approaching and the Irish rugby team facing potential Triple Crown and Grand Slam victories, Brusti Bear is making an Irish call on Irish householders to think more about segregating their waste and recyclables at source , that is in the kitchen.
Contaminated recyclabes have now become a “no no” world wide with China closing its doors to the import of recyclables. the result is that Irish waste service providers are now having to look for alternative destinations abroad and are stock piling recyclables.
Properly segregated waste not only conserves valuable resources but also presents business opportunities
and helps sustain our ecconomic viability. So Brusti Bear is making his own Ireland’s call to all you householders out there. Enjoy the holiday and the matches!

Official List of Recyclables Published

/in /by

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment in conjunction with the Irish Waste Mananagement Association have launched a video and published a definitive list of items which can be put in household recycling bins.

 

This will greatly help householders who can be confused in relation to what is allowed in the Green Bin. It will also alleviate any worries that householders may have about bin contamination, which may result in their bin being refused by the waste collector. Foremost the video informs householders that recyclables placed in the bin must be dry and clean, and any items not listed cannot be placed in the green bin. These include such items as plastic bags, coffee cups, non rigid plastic, plastic wrappers, aliminium foils/trays, dirty pizza boxes and glass. At last a standard across all waste collectors. Full details on www.recyclinglistireland.ie

Recycling is not rocket science….and recycling correctly may well prevent the need for any rockets in the future!

Spare a Thought for Spud Murphy!

/in /by

We Irish have a great afilliation and affection for the humble spud, yet  we do not give it any respect judging by the amount we throw away. Whether  it be scrapings from dinner plates, the discarding of incorrectly stored sprouting potatoes or the preperation of excessive quantities which are then dumped, our flexible friend does indeed get a raw deal. This practice however is not confined to the household and it would dishearten any descent spud to see the amount that is collected by waiters and waitresses at functions across the country, and then dumped.  Once cooked however leftover  Mr Spud’s can be transformed into appetising dishes such as Cinnamon-Walnut Sticky Buns , Bacon-Cheddar Potato Croquettes, Broccoli Potato Supreme to mention but a few. See below a list of websites with mouth watering recipes that would make any self respecting cooked potato blush!

 

Just click the relevant link to discover what the Ultimate Master of Cullinary Disguise can get up to..  Mashed , Baked or Boiled. Or perhaps your imagination might come up with one or two more. He is flexible after all!

 

 

The Amount of Waste we Produce is Scary!

/in /by

 

It really is, and it really seems like the powers that be prefer words to action. This can be evidenced by the amount of households in Ireland that still do not have a Brown Bin, by the amount of waste service providers still offering fixed rate contracts (contrary to what the Minister claims), by the amount of mixed waste which is willingly collected from apartment blocks and on campus student accommodations, and by the amount of illegal dumping to be seen throughout the country. Meanwhile enforcement by the Local Authoities et al. is frighteningly invisiible.

There is however a glimmer of hope as Irish people by and large want to do the right thing. This however can be difficult when there is little or no encouragement and enforcement from the powers that be. 600 litre wheelie bins of mixed waste can be seen outside apartment blocks and on campus student accommodation on a daily basis, there is blatant home burning of waste and the obvious non use of the green of brown bin by householders. These are activites that undermine the efforts of the conscientious householders, leading them to believe that nothing changes except the Minister!

Another recent welcome development is the move by retailers to reduce their waste, particularly food waste, and Irish companies Greencore, Hilton Foods, Kerry Group, Kepak, and Ornua have joined forces with Tesco Ireland to halve food waste by 2020. So the vast majority of householders and now retailers are pitching in. So where are the others?

The generation of vast amount of unecessary waste is scary at the best of times, but it is even more scary when those who can do something about it, don’t and won’t. Now that is scary! Really scary!