Useful options for reducing your household waste

IRISH households produce approximately 1.5 million tonnes of waste each year. Nearly half of this rubbish is general waste, which is collected from black bins and goes to landfill. Only a quarter of this waste is collected from our green and brown bins to be recycled or composted.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce waste at home and prevent your rubbish from going to landfill. These include:

Recycle, reuse, repair

Recycling is the process of collecting waste and turning it into other materials or objects that can be reused. When we recycle, we use less raw materials than when producing a new product, which reduces air pollution and improves the environment. Recycling household waste can also reduce the amount you spend on waste collection, as many waste collectors have no restriction on the amount of waste you can put in your green and brown bins. But, there are generally thresholds for the amount you can put in your black bin, and excess charges apply if you go above this. You can also take your recyclable waste to a recycling facility to be recycled. Find out more about recycling in Ireland.

The best way to reduce waste is not to produce it in the first place. So, reuse items whenever possible. For example, instead of buying plastic bottles of water, use a reusable bottle and refill it at home or at a free drinking water tap. If you’re going shopping, bring your own reusable shopping bags.

Instead of buying new items, try and repair the ones you have. For example, you could repair your clothes, furniture, bike or appliances. Information on how to fix most things is available on the internet. Or, you can get a local professional to fix your items.

Another option is upcycling. This is reusing items you no longer want, to make new products or materials of a higher value. It can be a fun and creative way of reducing waste and breathing new life into old items.

Avoid food packaging

When you’re in the supermarket, avoid buying items with excessive plastic packaging. In some supermarkets, you may be able to leave unwanted packaging behind.

Choose fruit and vegetables that don’t come prepackaged and bring your own bag to carry them home. Choose food items that come in recyclable containers.

Avoid single-use plastics Single-use plastics (SUPs) are items that are used once, or for a short period of time, and then thrown away. For example, straws, cotton bud sticks and polystyrene food containers.

Buy second hand

Buying second hand products will save you money. It also decreases the demand for new items, which preserves natural resources. Cars, clothes, exercise equipment, furniture and books are all examples of items that can be bought and used second hand.

If you have items that you don’t want, instead of throwing them out, you could donate them to a charity shop. You could also donate or sell them through buy and sell websites or social media groups.

No junk mail sticker

Put a ‘No junk mail’ sign on your front door or post box. This will stop unwanted paper waste coming into your home, such as flyers, brochures and free newspapers.