Work needed if Kerry is to cut back plastics

HOUSEHOLDS in Kerry are generating enough single-use plastic to fill 198 Olympic size swimming pools, that’s according to latest research by CUSP - Cease Using Single-Use Plastic.

Established in 2018, CUSP is a Midlands based group that was set up to develop solutions to what is a national and global crisis of excess plastic.

CUSP say that households in Kerry generate a combined total of around 8,900 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging waste annually.

It identifies Kerry as a ‘hotspot’ in terms of the volume of plastic waste, which is food for thought for people here, both from a domestic and commercial aspect.

CUSP provided a list of plastic volumes for nine Kerry towns: Tralee has the highest ratio at 1,425 tonnes annually, with Killarney coming in a distant second at 870 tonnes.

CUSP say that in order for Kerry to achieve 70 percent reduction by 2030, the county would need to reduce single-use plastic waste from its current 8,900 tonnes annually to 2,700 tonnes annually by 2030.

Moreover, households here would need to reduce from their current average of 171kgs annually, to 51kgs annually by 2030.

This would equate to reductions of 120kgs per household over the next decade.

“To put this in perspective, 171kgs is equivalent in weight to 3,000 empty 2ltr single-use plastic drinks bottles. For example. 51kgs is equivalent to 900,” explained CUSP founder, Simon Ruddy.

He added that CUSP’s research found consumers are being put-off trying to reduce single-use plastic waste by continuous reporting of the crises in the ‘millions of tonnes’. This, according to CUSP, is leaving many wondering “what’s the point trying to reduce as it is not going to make any difference”.

The impact of single-use plastic waste on oceans, marine life and human health is the driving force behind CUSP, who want more radical measures introduced to curtail the problem.

Mr Ruddy called for greater ‘consumer awareness’ by making a decision to ignore products at source that are excessively packaged.

CUSP founder Simon Ruddy is calling for a reduction in single-use plastic in Kerry.