New campaign encourages Mayo residents to ‘Take a Minute Before You Bin It’
A new nationwide initiative has been launched to encourage better waste segregation and increase recycling rates across Ireland, with a special focus on food waste and soft plastics, the two most commonly misplaced items in general waste bins.
The “Take a Minute Before You Bin It” campaign, led by MyWaste, Ireland’s official guide for managing waste, calls on households and businesses to improve their binning habits to support Ireland’s shift to a circular economy.
The campaign aims to address the fact that two-thirds of what ends up in general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), misplaced items such as food waste, paper, and plastic packaging represent lost resources for the economy and environment.
Minister of State for Public Procurement and Circular Economy, Ossian Smyth, highlights the importance of small, everyday actions. "By making small changes in our daily routines, we can collectively make a big difference for our planet," he said.
“When we put food waste or recyclable items like yogurt pots or plastic packaging in the general waste bin, we are losing valuable resources that could be composted or recycled into new products.”
The campaign encourages proper disposal, urging Mayo citizens to use their food waste bins for items like fruit and vegetable peelings, food-soiled paper napkins, and even greasy pizza boxes.
Meanwhile, clean and dry soft plastics, such as pasta bags and vegetable wrapping, should go in the recycling bin.
Many people are unsure about what goes in each bin, contributing to misplaced waste. MyWaste spokesperson, Dr. Joanne Rourke, notes that “People want to do the right thing, but busy lives can lead to mistakes.”
The campaign aims to provide the knowledge and tools to reduce these errors, offering resources such as an interactive game on the MyWaste.ie website to help people learn about proper binning habits in a fun and engaging way.
Celebrity chef Donal Skehan has teamed up with MyWaste to help spread the message, encouraging people to pause and think before they discard items.
"By taking a moment to think before we bin, we can make a real difference,” said Skehan, urging everyone to play their part in tackling the global issue of food waste.
The campaign’s arrival in Mayo comes as Ireland works towards ambitious EU waste recycling targets, which require a 55% municipal waste recycling rate by 2025.
Conor Walsh of the Irish Waste Management Association welcomes the initiative, saying it’s an opportunity to “retain more of our valuable resources within the Irish economy.”
Residents of Mayo are encouraged to visit MyWaste.ie for tips and resources, as well as to explore how they can make a difference by making simple, informed decisions about where to dispose of their waste.