Households Encouraged To Recycle Christmas Waste

Labour is encouraging people to recycle household goods following the Christmas break and to dispose of their trees properly.

Deputy Joanna Tuffy said: "Now that the holiday period is over, many people will be spending this week getting their homes ready for Spring. During this time, it's important that people remember to dispose of any recyclable goods they may have and to use local recycling facilities that are available.

"Many local authorities offer a free Christmas tree recycling facility that is an excellent, environmentally friendly way to dispose of your tree. Equally I'm urging people to bring their bottles and cans to local recycling centres, while food packaging and wrapping papers should be directed to the correct repositories.

"In recent years, Irish families have become much more environmentally aware, with more households now separating and recycling their waste than ever. This is certainly something I welcome.

"This has been made easier by Government efforts which has seen investment in waste management rise over the past few years. There's a new customer charter in place for waste companies and a new ban outlawing the below-cost selling of waste. We've also stopped the race to bottom in terms of waste industry standards and introduced the concept of pay by weight.

"The introduction of the pay-by-weight system on the 1st July 2015, and the forthcoming introduction of mandatory pay-by-weight charging for household waste in July 2016 and for commercial waste later in 2016, will provide clear pricing incentives to households and businesses to prevent and segregate their waste to the greatest possible extent.

"For more information on where households can locate their nearest recycling centres, I'd suggest people log onto their local authority's website."

(MH/LM)