One poorly misplaced item in the recycling bin risks ‘spoiling a whole load’, a recycling expert has warned. 

Ireland compares poorly to other European countries when it comes to recycling; in 2022, only 41% of the Republic’s municipal waste was recycled - well below the EU’s 55% target for this year. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Repak CEO Zoe Kavanagh urged people to be careful about what they put in the bin. 

“Sadly, it doesn’t have to be very contaminated to spoil a whole load,” she said. 

“Today is World Recycling Day and we are eager to ask Irish consumers to pause for thought and consider packaging waste a resource. 

“When you view it as a resource, you should be thinking about its potential in a second life and the environmental benefits of that. 

“So, for example, any packaging waste, clean, loose and dry, should go into the recycling bin. 

“If you put a contaminant in, such as a dirty nappy, such as a container with a lot of food left on it… if that contaminant is mixed in with the content of the bin, you’re just actually spoiling the chance of valuable material being worked again.” 

In the Programme for Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised to end “the wasteful cycle of take-make-consume-throw-away, promoting sustainable practices that extend the life of products and reduce waste”.

You can listen back here:

Main image: A recycling bin. Picture by: Alamy.com