End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulations come into force

Since January 2007, the Irish Department for the environment has implemented it's reguations pertaining to the eco friendly disposal of motor cars and vans.

The Regulations place heavy obligations on manufacturers and importers of cars and vans ("producers" under the Regulations), who are required to put in place a national system for the collection and disposal of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). An ELV is a car or van which is discarded or is to be discarded by its registered owner.

The registered owners of the ELV may not be charged where the ELV is deposited at the authorised treatment facility, (ATF) unless essential components of the vehicle are missing. Where the ELV has no or a negative market value, the producer is responsible for meeting the costs of treatment and recovery of the ELV. When an ELV is deposited at an ATF, a Certificate of Destruction will be issued to the registered owner. The ELVs must be treated within 10 days of deposit at the facility.

For a list of ATF facilities in your area contact the environmental department in your local authority, or log on to Repak.ie for an up to date list.

Recycling: Lets Get Started !!

Recycling is the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products.

This can involve using recyclable materials to make a new version of the same thing (e.g. using used glass bottles to produce new glass bottles) or using them to make something entirely different (e.g. using beverage cartons to make recyclable paper bags).
Over 2/3 of the average household bin is recyclable. Approximately a quarter of the bin is used packaging that can be recycled, with a further third being compostable kitchen and garden waste. There is a clear opportunity for Irish householders to make a difference here and contribute towards achieving Ireland’s EU packaging recovery and recycling targets.

1 - First of all, if your home is serviced by a kerbside collection for recycling make sure you are fully aware of all the different packaging types and recyclables that they will collect. Contact your local authority or local waste contractor to get an update on what they accept as they often collect a wider range of recyclable materials than you may be aware of.

2 - If you do not have a kerbside collection for recycling, make optimum use of your local recycling facilities. To find out where your local bring bank/recycling centre site is, please click here.

3 - To start recycling simply begin by segregating your household waste into three types:
a. Recycling
b. Compostables
c. Residual waste

4 - Get different containers for each of the above and label each one clearly. Clear a handy but obvious place for them where all members of the household will see and use them e.g. corner of the kitchen, utility room, garage etc.

5 - You may find it easier to have separate containers for all of your different recycling materials e.g. glass, aluminum cans etc. Alternatively to save space, collect your recyclables in one container and separate them at your local bring bank/recycling centre.

6 - Make sure the containers you use are easy to clean out.

7 - It is also important to choose a container size which is easy for you to carry when full and transport to your local bring bank/recycling centre.

8 - The following chart will help you handle your recycling at home:

PACKAGING TYPE & INSTRUCTIONS

Glass bottles and jars Rinse and remove lids
Aluminium drinks cans Wash and squash
Steel food cans Rinse
Cardboard packaging Flatten it, keep it clean and dry
Beverage cartons Wash and squash
Plastic bottles Wash and squash and remove lids

9 - By following these instructions on handling your recycling you will get the maximum use out of your recycling wheelie bin and/or containers.

10 - Flattening or squashing your used packaging means you will be able to fit more into your recycling containers at home. This also benefits your local recycling facility in the same way.

11 - Rinsing recyclables will eliminate any smell or insect problems and the mess of spilled contents in your recycling containers. It also prevents the contamination of other used packaging like cardboard which if wet cannot be successfully recycled.

12 - To find out where your local bring bank/civic amenity site is, please click here.

Focus on Paper/Cardboard

In Ireland, as part of the Department of the Environment's strategy to reduce waste going to landfill, a ban on commercial quantities of cardboard was implemented on 1st February 2002. Cardboard containers are not only one of the most commonly found materials in both industrial and commercial waste, but they are also one of the easiest materials to recycle. Cardboard recycling cuts emissions of sulpher dioxide in half and saves about one quarter of the energy used to manufacture it. Source: http://www.rehab.ie/gandon/paper.aspx

REDUCE AND REUSE PAPER
Reducing the amount of paper you use is the best means of reducing consumption. One way of doing this is by sharing newspapers at work. Reusing paper is another good means of reducing consumption. Offices can make a major contribution through economical use of paper, by, for example, using paper on both-sides and reverse sides of old reports for rough work. Envelopes, if opened carefully, can be reused using fresh labels. Old newspapers can be pulped at home and, using purpose-built simple presses, converted into fuel for the fire. Old newspapers are also useful in the garden for controlling weeds, for the compost heap and may also be suitable as animal bedding. Waste but good quality paper can be used as scribbling pads or wrapping paper. If there is a downturn in the market for newspapers, alternative uses on the lines of the above may be the only viable alternative means of recycling.

RECYCLING OF PAPER
The following classes of paper are suitable for recycling:
Newspapers are classed as low grade paper, but are the easiest to recycle, however the market for recycling newspapers fluctuates greatly and consequently the number of places which accept newspapers varies from time to time. Therefore, in Ireland, it is necessary to check frequently with your local authority or ENFO about current places which will accept paper.
Magazines are a low grade material. They should be kept separate from newspapers.
Computer printout is a high grade material.
Corrugated cardboard is also suitable for recycling but it is a low grade material and again the market fluctuates greatly.
Office waste can be a medium quality if free from contamination such as plastics, metals, etc. Offices could, without too much difficulty, make significant contributions to recycling paper with the cooperation of staff.
Other wastes are telephone books, cardboard packets, greeting cards, calendars and diaries, paper bags, comics, bills, cigarette packets etc. Generally speaking, paper of similar type should be tied in bundles and contamination, such as plastics and tin foil, removed. Books should be kept separate. Cardboard should be flattened and tied in bundles.

USE MORE RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS
Market forces dictate the price which is paid for recycled paper. You can support the market in this area by using more recycled products, e.g. office stationery and cardboard packaging. With modern technology, a good standard of stationery using recycled paper is possible. Manufacturers and others could further promote the use of recycled products by stating that their products are made of recycled materials. For example, cardboard packaging could state the percentage of recycled board used in its manufacture. Offices could print at the foot of their letters the fact that recycled paper is being used. Envelopes made from recycled paper are also available and could indicate the percentage of recycled paper used in their manufacture. Source: ENFO

Focus on Steel

Metal is an easy to recycle material and quite valuable. Just remember to clean all cans out properly and to remove any plastic.

We rely on steel cans for packaging our food in durable, tamper-resistant, shelf-stable containers. We reach for them on cold winter evenings when we need a cup of soup. We empty their contents into dog and cat food dishes for our pets. We even polish our furniture and paint our homes with their contents.
You may not realize it, but you probably use at least one steel can every day. The familiar "tin" can has been part of our society for more than a century. Steel cans package a variety of products, including fruits, vegetables, soups, sauces, meats, condiments, juice, pet food, cleaning products, paint, shoe polish, adhesive bandages, coffee and even cookies. Steel cans are also something else -- recyclable.
And they have the potential to be recycled over and over again into new steel products.

Source: http://www.recycle-steel.org/cans.html

Steel is probably the easiest material to separate from the rest of the solid waste stream. Steel is attracted to magnets, so special magnetic belts can be used to separate steel cans from other recyclables. This is a much more efficient method than the labor-intensive hand-sorting necessary with other recyclables, such as plastics.
Recycling your used steel cans at home is easy, too. All you need to do is rinse the food from the cans. That’s it. Years ago, scrap dealers asked people to remove the paper labels and the tops and bottoms from cans. This is no longer necessary.
If you’re not sure which cans are steel and which are aluminum, use a magnet to separate them. Steel will stick to the magnet; aluminum will not. If you come across a can with a steel body and an aluminum top—called a bimetal can—put the can with the steel recyclables. Steel recyclers can accept all types of steel cans, even those containing aluminum. Aluminum recyclers can only accept 100 percent aluminum cans.
After steel scrap is collected from homes, recycling centers, or waste-to-energy plants, it is shipped to one of the companies that buy old steel—steel mills, iron and steel foundries, scrap dealers, and detinners. Detinners remove the layer of tin from old steel cans. This tin is valuable and can be sold.
Steel can recycling follows almost the same process as aluminum can recycling. Steel cans, along with other steel scrap, are melted in a furnace and then poured into casters that continuously roll and flatten the steel into sheets. Recycled steel cans can be made into new cars, girders for buildings, or new food cans.
Like aluminum, steel can also be recycled again and again. It does not lose any of its strength or quality in the recycling process. It can be a never-ending process that continues to save energy and resources. Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/

Focus On Plastic

With all plastic bottles, (beverages, water etc),
we should rinse and then crush them to maximise space in collection systems. It is best to replace the cap as this helps keep bottles crushed and prevents air entry and bottle reshaping.
Generally plastic is marked with a triangle and a number 1 - 7 to help identify the different types. Most Commonly accepted are numbers 1 and 2 which are PET and HDPE.
However, in Ireland, many plastic collection systems do collect plastic wrap from breads, toilet rolls etc and some trays. If in doubt about your collection leave it out. Ideally confirm with your collector what they accept as different Local Authorities and recovery operators collect different things.

A recycling plant uses seven steps to turn plastic trash into recycled plastic:

1. Inspection
Workers inspect the plastic trash for contaminants like rock and glass, and for plastics that the plant cannot recycle.

2. Chopping and Washing
The plastic is washed and chopped into flakes.

3. Flotation Tank
If mixed plastics are being recycled, they are sorted in a flotation tank, where some types of plastic sink and others float.

4. Drying
The plastic flakes are dried in a tumble dryer.

5. Melting
The dried flakes are fed into an extruder, where heat and pressure melt the plastic. Different types of plastics melt at different temperatures.

6. Filtering
The molten plastic is forced through a fine screen to remove any contaminants that slipped through the washing process. The molten plastic is then formed into strands.

7. Pelletizing
The strands are cooled in water, then chopped into uniform pellets. Manufacturing companies buy the plastic pellets from recyclers to make new products. Recycled plastics also can be made into flowerpots, lumber, and carpeting. Source: www.eia.doe.gov

Focus on Aluminium

Aluminium is a valuable material. As most people are aware the most noted source of aluminium in the market place is with drink cans, all of which can go into the green bin.
In Ireland, we are recycling approximately 40% of cans but we can also recycle Aluminium Foils such as Take away trays, Aluminium foil and trays from items like mini tarts and cakes. Just rinse clean and scrunch together. Cans take up a lot of space if they are not compressed so make sure you squash them.

All aluminium products can be recycled after use. Scrap is generally taken by road to the recycling plant where it is checked and sorted to determine composition and value. If the scrap is of unknown quality the aluminium will first be passed through some large magnets to remove any ferrous metal. Depending upon the type of contamination present, some scrap must be processed further, beverage cans for example must have their lacquer removed prior to re-melting.
The scrap aluminium is then loaded into a furnace, which melts the aluminium completely. This molten metal is then cast or processed. Anything made of aluminium can be recycled repeatedly.

Source: www.world-aluminium.org

Focus on Glass Recycling

First and foremost, we, the Irish nation, are very good at recycling our glass bottles and jars. We now have glass recycling rates of nearly 80%. Yet we are not so good at other materials. Very few Irish household collection systems will collect glass so you need to separate into the different types/colours and bring to your local bring center. We have a complete list of the 2,500 bring banks, bring centers and larger civic amenity sites through out Ireland on www.repak.ie.

Glass containers deposited from households into the bottle bank network are transported for recycling to the glass processing plant. For example with Rehab, their Recycle plant is based in Dublin, at Ballymount.

The Ballymount plant uses state-of-the-art technology to sort the glass by colour, remove all metal contaminants and crush it into small pieces known as cullet.
When a consignment of glass arrives at Ballymount, it undergoes an initial process of manual sorting to ensure that bottles and jars are divided by colour - green, brown and clear.
Metal objects such as cans, and bottle lids are then removed magnetically, before the glass is crushed into cullet.
The cullet then goes through a screening system so it can be sorted by size. Optical sorters fire lasers through the particles to ensure that they are glass. The machines remove other objects such as fragments of cups or plates.
This is a vital process - just one broken tea cup will result in a 25 tonne consignment of cullet being rejected.
Finally the glass is put through a suction system which removes lighter components such as labels and plastic lids.
The cullet is then ready to go to Quinn Glass, in Northern Ireland,where it is put in furnaces along with other raw materials such as soda ash and silica sand to produce new glass.
For every tonne of cullet added to the furnace, there are savings of the energy equivalent of 30 gallons of oil. Source: www.rehab.ie