Welcome to GUBU.ie - if you're new here check out Housekeeping for more info. Any queries contact us.
Recycling Madness
- Del.Monte
- Verified Username
- Posts: 4945
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:11 pm
- Location: The Sunny South East
Recycling Madness
I usually visit my council "so called" recycling centre in Enniscorthy once a month and while it has never been much use except for disposing of items as you're not allowed to take anything away with you - so much for "reuse". However, things had further disimproved on my latest visit as it is now no longer possible to leave books for recycling as books - they have to be chucked into a compactor along with the plastic waste! When I queried it I was told that it was probably destined for incineration. It seems Enniscorthy is not alone in this: https://dublininquirer.com/2023/03/15/m ... t-recycled
Is it any wonder the planet is fecked with this sort of carry on?
Is it any wonder the planet is fecked with this sort of carry on?
'no more blah blah blah'
Re: Recycling Madness
So they're just burning plastic but seeing as it's not fossil fuels it's a win?!
Crazy
Crazy
Re: Recycling Madness
"Is it any wonder the planet is fecked with this sort of carry on?"
The 'recycling centre is ridiculous where I live too. I sat there fuming one time as I watched a van full with a massive trailer load of builders waste ,i.e. plasterboard, masonry rubble, fibreglass insulation, and lord knows what else get purposely dumped into a 'green' skip that's meant for recycling paper and plastics etc. When I questioned the chap who worked there why he had done it, he laughed and said "sure it all ends up in the same place."
As someone who seems to spend a large amount of my time, organising and separating stuff for recycling, witnessing that and similar incidents is hugely frustrating. What is the point of recycling and wasting our time trying to do the right thing?
We also used to be allowed to route around and take away anything we thought might be useful.
One time, I took home five vacuum cleaners, as I wanted one for the workshop. Of the five, I thought I might at least get one that'll work . . . After changing a couple of fuses and cleaning out some blocked hoses and filters, I couldn't believe that all five of them were working perfectly. I kept the best one, gave one away, and brought the rest back on my next visit. Also in the past, when I used to be able to raid through the stuff, I'd gotten a smart TV with nothing more wrong than an internal fuse gone, pumps and seals to fix the washing machine and dishwasher, a Technics sound system, no end of excellent computers and parts, bicycles, tools, loads of perfectly good stuff that others simply didn't know how to, or couldn't be arsed to fix.
And i wasn't the only one doing it, i used to meet several like minded people who'd be doing the same thing there.
It's kinda crazy the waste that goes on, it's an awful shame the whole thing couldn't be organised better so less went to landfill and people were encouraged to properly recognise what is, and isn't reuseable.
The 'recycling centre is ridiculous where I live too. I sat there fuming one time as I watched a van full with a massive trailer load of builders waste ,i.e. plasterboard, masonry rubble, fibreglass insulation, and lord knows what else get purposely dumped into a 'green' skip that's meant for recycling paper and plastics etc. When I questioned the chap who worked there why he had done it, he laughed and said "sure it all ends up in the same place."
As someone who seems to spend a large amount of my time, organising and separating stuff for recycling, witnessing that and similar incidents is hugely frustrating. What is the point of recycling and wasting our time trying to do the right thing?
We also used to be allowed to route around and take away anything we thought might be useful.
One time, I took home five vacuum cleaners, as I wanted one for the workshop. Of the five, I thought I might at least get one that'll work . . . After changing a couple of fuses and cleaning out some blocked hoses and filters, I couldn't believe that all five of them were working perfectly. I kept the best one, gave one away, and brought the rest back on my next visit. Also in the past, when I used to be able to raid through the stuff, I'd gotten a smart TV with nothing more wrong than an internal fuse gone, pumps and seals to fix the washing machine and dishwasher, a Technics sound system, no end of excellent computers and parts, bicycles, tools, loads of perfectly good stuff that others simply didn't know how to, or couldn't be arsed to fix.
And i wasn't the only one doing it, i used to meet several like minded people who'd be doing the same thing there.
It's kinda crazy the waste that goes on, it's an awful shame the whole thing couldn't be organised better so less went to landfill and people were encouraged to properly recognise what is, and isn't reuseable.
Re: Recycling Madness
The Bandon "Civic Amenity Site" (recycling center in other words) is a bit more sensible. The unwritten rule is that if you think something is salvageable, it gets put outside the bin. That way, you can pick it if you want.
I got a grand 50m extension lead on a reel for free. I took it so that I could have a go at fixing it and to try to salvage the cable to make my own. One fuse later, it was working.
I've taken baskets from freezers for storage in the shed, gas bottles (one was about 1/4 full judging by the weight - free gas!) and rolls of packing foam (always handy for the camper). The best was there was an old shop being cleared out and the shelves, etc were dumped. The metal shelves were gone (only bent/broken ones left) but all the Tayto display baskets were left. It was a 9 bay unit. Well, that came home immediately and is now in the garage full of crap, but it's sorted and easy to reach crap.....
I got a grand 50m extension lead on a reel for free. I took it so that I could have a go at fixing it and to try to salvage the cable to make my own. One fuse later, it was working.
I've taken baskets from freezers for storage in the shed, gas bottles (one was about 1/4 full judging by the weight - free gas!) and rolls of packing foam (always handy for the camper). The best was there was an old shop being cleared out and the shelves, etc were dumped. The metal shelves were gone (only bent/broken ones left) but all the Tayto display baskets were left. It was a 9 bay unit. Well, that came home immediately and is now in the garage full of crap, but it's sorted and easy to reach crap.....
- Del.Monte
- Verified Username
- Posts: 4945
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:11 pm
- Location: The Sunny South East
Re: Recycling Madness
^^ All Civic Amenity sites should be operated this way. There's a scrap bin at the Enniscorthy site and I would like to know whether the owner pays the council or do they pay the owner.
'no more blah blah blah'
Re: Recycling Madness
Members of the public are saving items from recycling centres? That is great but I'm very surprised to hear that it happens. For several reasons - loss of revenue (scrap value of metal etc), fears of liability if someone injures themselves with an item that they took home, chaos from people rooting through stuff.
Re: Recycling Madness
Do you mean the scrap metal bin Del? There's no doubt someone's making money off that. I have a 'hippie' friend who was way ahead of his time when it comes to all things environmental. For the last 25 years he's made a living from collecting aluminium cans from everywhere around the country he can think of. (I give him all our empty cans). He'll even go and collect them after concerts too. He squashes them into cubes with a hydraulic press, then brings them someplace where he's paid by weight for them. He does the same with any other metals he's given for free, but no, he's not a travelling fellow, just someone who's passionate about saving the environment.
- Del.Monte
- Verified Username
- Posts: 4945
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:11 pm
- Location: The Sunny South East
Re: Recycling Madness
Yes, a scrap bin that fits on a lorry is at the centre. I would like to know the financial arrangements regarding it. There's always been lots of money to be made from scrap but no doubt the council are managing to lose on the operation.
'no more blah blah blah'
Re: Recycling Madness
I know that a well known metal recycler in Ballycarney has two large skips in the recycling centre in Gorey. What the financial arrangements are between them and the Council are, I don't know. Another thing about Gorey is that the WEEE recycing area is at the far end of the yard from the automated barrier, so if you roll up with a fridge or a cooker, and there is no staff member around, which is 99% of the time, you have to pay to raise the barrier. So much for free recycling.
-
- Posts: 453
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:20 pm
Re: Recycling Madness
Don’t pay, you already paid the weee charge. Christ on a bike.marhay70 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:56 pm I know that a well known metal recycler in Ballycarney has two large skips in the recycling centre in Gorey. What the financial arrangements are between them and the Council are, I don't know. Another thing about Gorey is that the WEEE recycing area is at the far end of the yard from the automated barrier, so if you roll up with a fridge or a cooker, and there is no staff member around, which is 99% of the time, you have to pay to raise the barrier. So much for free recycling.
Re: Recycling Madness
You'd like to think it was that easy. There are CCTV cameras that record reg plates of anybody leaving stuff at the gates who is then issued with an automatic fine in the post, and while you may eventually prove your innocence and even get your 2 euro back, it's not worth the hassle.Jack The Stripper wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 4:55 pm Don’t pay, you already paid the weee charge. Christ on a bike.
- Del.Monte
- Verified Username
- Posts: 4945
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:11 pm
- Location: The Sunny South East
Re: Recycling Madness
Are you allowed to take useful things from the Gorey recycling centre?marhay70 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:56 pm I know that a well known metal recycler in Ballycarney has two large skips in the recycling centre in Gorey. What the financial arrangements are between them and the Council are, I don't know. Another thing about Gorey is that the WEEE recycing area is at the far end of the yard from the automated barrier, so if you roll up with a fridge or a cooker, and there is no staff member around, which is 99% of the time, you have to pay to raise the barrier. So much for free recycling.
'no more blah blah blah'
Re: Recycling Madness
Well, I 've never tried myself but I did give a wheelbarrow body to a guy in there and nobody tried to stop him, but as I say there's rarely any staff around.
Re: Recycling Madness
Giving someone a 'wheelbarrow' has a whole different meaning here in the naughty midlands than it does in Gorey apparently.
Re: Recycling Madness
Okay, but be careful with how you use the information in this link, it requires a fair bit of flexibility. 🫣
https://www.news24.com/life/relationshi ... w-20080813
Re: Recycling Madness
Interesting, I've heard it called by a few other names as well, none of which I'm likely to be using in the near future unfortunately.Apelles wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:02 am Okay, but be careful with how you use the information in this link, it requires a fair bit of flexibility. 🫣
https://www.news24.com/life/relationshi ... w-20080813
-
- Verified Username
- Posts: 2586
- Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:19 pm
- Location: Central France
Re: Recycling Madness
Severe shortage of women willing to participate in "agricultural activities" around here too, despite us being a farming region.
- Del.Monte
- Verified Username
- Posts: 4945
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:11 pm
- Location: The Sunny South East
Re: Recycling Madness
I missed this incredible story on Lavhline during the week but will it just die? I have suspected that this sort of nonsense has been going on for years and with the Greens in power and it still happening we're all doomed.
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22322238/
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22322238/
'no more blah blah blah'
Re: Recycling Madness
Very interesting... what I have thought as well. So many different set ups... in UK my my mother who made it to age 101 yrs had to recycle 8 streams.
Re: Recycling Madness
I suspect regulations that need to be complied with are to do with amount of recycling material collected and not the end use of it.
Re: Recycling Madness
I suspect regulations that need to be complied with are to do with amount of recycling material collected and not the end use of it.