Comments on: Ireland and Packaging waste: facts and figures http://www.alternativeparty.org/ireland-and-packaging-waste-facts-and-figures/ Thinking about holistic accounting in Ireland Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:47:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Patrick Mangan http://www.alternativeparty.org/ireland-and-packaging-waste-facts-and-figures/#comment-1087 Patrick Mangan Tue, 08 May 2007 09:02:46 +0000 http://www.alternativeparty.org/ireland-and-packaging-waste-facts-and-figures/29/03/2007/#comment-1087 It is very interesting to consider the supposed reduction in waste being produced by Ireland in this time of large scale "recycling". Where does all this super efficient recycling take place? Not in Ireland any (most of the time). I understand that one small piece of plastic, say from a window on a paper envelope is enough to contaminate the batch and make it unsuitable for recycling, so it must be landfilled or burned. I suspect that most of our supposed recycled material is landfilled abroad where no-one knows or cares. Isen't it convenient if the Irish authorities dont bother to rigerously check if it is actually being recycled? Perhaps it would be better if it was not exported, then at least we could have some trust in the figures being bvanded about about how well we are doing, despite consistant growh in consumption and in waste production. It is very interesting to consider the supposed reduction in waste being produced by Ireland in this time of large scale “recycling”. Where does all this super efficient recycling take place? Not in Ireland any (most of the time). I understand that one small piece of plastic, say from a window on a paper envelope is enough to contaminate the batch and make it unsuitable for recycling, so it must be landfilled or burned. I suspect that most of our supposed recycled material is landfilled abroad where no-one knows or cares. Isen’t it convenient if the Irish authorities dont bother to rigerously check if it is actually being recycled?

Perhaps it would be better if it was not exported, then at least we could have some trust in the figures being bvanded about about how well we are doing, despite consistant growh in consumption and in waste production.

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