How Technology Can Help You Reduce Waste

From food waste to single-use products, the need for adopting more sustainable practices has become even clearer with all the environmental challenges we’ve faced in the past years. 

Like in other aspects of our daily lives, technology has played an important role in helping people become more conscious regarding waste disposal. Waste reduction apps are emerging as powerful tools for individuals and communities to minimise waste generation, promote recycling, and adopt more sustainable practices. More than only making waste reduction more accessible, these digital solutions also encourage a shift in mindset towards responsible consumption.

Let’s look into the apps making waves in waste reduction, showing how simple technology can catalyse significant environmental change.

Top Waste Reduction Apps and How They Work

From food to household items,  the vast array of waste-reducing apps available can help users tackle various forms of waste in daily life.

Apps for Food Waste Reduction

Food waste is a major contributor to landfills, and two leading apps are addressing this issue with innovative approaches.

• Too Good To Go: On this app, restaurants, cafes, and bakeries list leftover food that would otherwise be thrown away. Users can then browse the map for food near them and pick up a ‘magic bag’ for a fraction of the original retail cost. You can register for free and specify your dietary requirements.
• Olio: Designed to foster a local sharing economy through community sharing as the app lets users offer surplus food and household items to neighbours. By fostering a local sharing economy, Olio helps households minimise waste.

Apps for Secondhand Shopping and Reuse

Encouraging a circular economy, these apps connect individuals to give used items a second life.

• Depop: Popular among young consumers, Depop is a fashion resale app where users buy and sell secondhand clothing. By reducing the demand for new fashion production, Depop aids in cutting down the carbon footprint associated with the industry.
• Nuw: Founded by Irish entrepreneur Aisling Byrne, Nuw turns fashion into a currency: you upload an item, earn coins, and use these coins to redeem a “nuw” piece.

Benefits of Using Waste Reduction Apps

The positive impact of waste reduction apps extends beyond environmental benefits; they also provide economic and educational advantages.

When waste is minimised, there’s less need for new resources, leading to a more sustainable environment. Moreover, some waste reduction apps save consumers and businesses money by providing discounted surplus goods or encouraging the reuse of items. 

Waste reduction apps also empower consumers by providing knowledge on sustainable practices. Through app notifications, tips, and interactive features, consumers become more informed about environmental issues and motivated to make eco-friendly choices daily.

Take an Important Step Towards Sustainability

Barna Recycling is Connacht’s leading provider of waste management services, always providing a professional, reliable, and environmentally friendly service. All this ensures that customers enjoy the peace of mind that we will recycle what they throw away, lowering the cost to our customers and the environment.

Our household mobile app helps our customers optimise their waste disposal, offering numerous benefits and key features that go beyond simply allowing them to see their bin collection history.

Not a Barna Recycling customer yet? Join today and partner with your number one environmentally friendly waste collection provider.

Barna’s Moving Day Tips: Disposing of Rubbish When Moving In/Out of Your Student Accommodation

As the summer holidays draw to an end this August, students are getting ready to head back to college and university. At Barna Recycling, we know that moving into rented student accommodation can be a tough task when faced with the disposing of old books, electronic waste disposal and other bulky items from previous years, which are no longer of use to you as you begin the new academic year, modules and subjects. When students break for summer, they often bring back unnecessary items and waste that will never be used again. It’s advisable to do a complete clear-out of your student accommodation before moving out day and before breaking for the summer season. If you did not tackle this task at the time, we definitely recommend sorting through the waste that you brought home at the end of the precious academic year before your upcoming ‘student moving in day’ to avoid more waste accumulation.

We understand that disposing of rubbish can be confusing, especially for a student who is unsure of the correct disposal methods. To be sure you are disposing of exam papers, disposing of study notes you no longer need and disposing of old books correctly can be daunting. 

To make your next moving day hassle-free, we have compiled some top tips for students and parents. Barna’s moving day tips will not only help you dispose of your waste properly, but they will also make the process quicker and more efficient, ensuring that you are disposing of rubbish in an eco-friendly, stress-free manner.

What Moving Day Tips can I Refer to When Disposing of my Rubbish?

When clearing out your rubbish in preparation for moving day, it is difficult to know which waste items would go into your waste bins and what shouldn’t. Ensure you are only moving essential items into your student accommodation so that the task of moving out is made much easier months down the line. Check out our valuable tips for students and parents.

Barna’s Moving Day Tips For Students

Disposing of Clothes, Bedding & Mattresses: Any type of old clothing, footwear, textiles (including blankets in unusable condition) can be brought to your local civic amenity sites to be disposed of at a reduced rate. Alternatively, clothes that you no longer want but are still in usable condition, can be given to siblings and friends, brought to a charity shop, or brought to your nearest clothes bank… but do not ‘store’ them in your student accommodation – if you will not be wearing them, dispose of them!

Electronic Waste Disposal: Electrical waste, more commonly known as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) may include unwanted items such as computers, monitors, mobile phones, game consoles, speakers, headphones… the list goes on for students! Thanks to the ease of access to local civic amenity sites, electronic waste disposal has never been made easier, and you can locate your nearest site HERE.

Disposing of old books & papers: If you have old college books in good condition, you can donate them to the college library or request the student’s union to sell them on your behalf. Alternatively, you can pass them on to someone who has signed up to do the same course/subject in the upcoming academic year. If the books can’t be reused, you can dispose of old books in your household recycling bin. For large volumes that cannot be reused, you can also dispose of old books & papers at your local civic amenity site, as recommended by MyWaste (2024).

Disposing of Old Books: When to Keep Them, When To Let Go

At the beginning of an academic year, you may be struggling to decide what books, papers and notes you should keep for the future, and which of these will no longer serve you purpose. Check out the diagram below from Life With Less Mess to help you understand if disposing of old books & papers is the best next course of action to take.

Moving Day Tips: How Parents Can Help?

Mum or dad – If you are charged with helping your child clear out their waste before beginning a new academic year and moving into their student accommodation on moving day, get ready to practise patience. You both share a common goal when tackling the moving day process…that is for it to be as stress-free as possible! Here’s some of Barna’s Moving day tips to ensure the move is made as easy and as eco-friendly as possible.

• Facilitate Decisions: Help them to decide what items they want to keep and what needs to be thrown out (referring back to the Life With Less Mess diagram above will be helpful).
• Separating Rubbish: Have a rubbish bag prepared for general waste and one for recycling.
• Get Strict: Clarify what your child wants to do with the bulky items first. Are they being dumped or recycled? Bulky items may include bed clothes, stereos, kettles and any other items that would otherwise take up lots of car space and/or space in the family home. This is the time to get strict!
• Think Green: Encourage your child to recycle or sell on any old books, notes, clothes, electronics or other useful items before the moving in date.
• Ask The Questions: Many charities often partner with colleges and universities to establish collection points or van pickups, so be sure to put on your parent cap and enquire about such services before beginning the moving day process.

Take Advantage of Your Local Civic Amenity Site for Electronic Waste Disposal and Other Bulky Waste

Barna Recycling’s purpose-built Civic Amenity Sites will assist you greatly when moving out of your family home and into your student home. We have seven civic amenity sites across Connacht for your convenience, where you can dispose of a large variety of non-hazardous and recyclable household waste at a reduced cost. Visit our website to find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located. Our civic amenity sites may be just what you are looking for if you are a student moving out of your family home and into new student accommodation, getting ready for the disposing of old books or wondering how you are going to manage your bulky electronic waste disposal.

 Here are some of the benefits of using one of our civic amenity sites:

• They are cost-effective and cheap to use.
• Accept a wide range of items, including hazardous materials.
• They are clean, local, and easily accessible.
• Open on weekends to make them more accessible to all.
• They are well laid out and marked for each waste material.
• Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.
• Provide WEEE and Glass Bottle services free of charge.
• Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.

The items accepted will vary for each of our civic amenity sites. Please be sure to call us in advance or check our website for the complete list of items accepted at your nearest centre. The charges for the items you bring to the respective civic amenity centre will be based on the type of vehicle you have, not the quantity or weight of the waste items themselves.

Still Worrying About Waste Disposal on ‘Moving Day’?

Our Barna Recycling team are always on hand at our civic amenity sites to greet you on arrival, assist you with drop-offs, and provide you with advice and information about recycling and waste disposal. 

Alternatively, you can choose to hire a skip, which also makes the disposing of rubbish much quicker and easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes for all purposes, so you can be sure we will have one to suit your needs and requirements – have a look at our helpful skip sizing guide here for more information.

Don’t let unnecessary waste and clutter bog you down during your new move. Let us help you make your moving day a breeze with our expert advice and guidance so that commencing your new academic year feels clean and green. If you would like more information on where to dispose of certain items or order a skip, give us a call today on 091 771619.

Small, Simple Changes For An Eco-Friendly Bathroom

In a world that’s increasingly aware of its environmental impact, the concept of an eco-friendly bathroom has gained substantial traction. When it comes to creating an eco-friendlier space, we find that bathroom waste often gets overlooked. On the daily, however, we all use toiletries, personal care items and bathroom cleaners, which means our bathroom is packed with recyclables! 
 
If you take a minute to examine your personal care, beauty, and general hygiene routine, you might be surprised to find that often there is more waste in your bathroom than anywhere else in the house. From shampoo bottles, shower gels, soap packaging, disposable razors to bathroom cleaners and toilet rolls, the list is endless. 

It is extremely important that you know how and where to dispose of your bathroom waste correctly. Below we have outlined some practical tips and techniques for maintaining a low-waste, eco-friendly bathroom and reducing household waste disposal.

Clearing Chaos: Declutter for an Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Firstly, I am sure you will agree with us when we say: ‘fewer bathroom products, less waste produced’. Reducing bathroom waste is a great place to start when it comes to building an eco-friendly bathroom. We invite you to practise two sustainable habits:

1. Frequently dedicate time to reorganise and rearrange all your cosmetics, toiletries, and personal care items. This will enable you to identify exactly what you need, what you use regularly, how often such items require replacement or replenishment.
2. Dispose of bathroom items that you do no longer need and those that have expired. We are all guilty (from time to time) of leaving bathroom cleaner products and toiletries in the bathroom, untouched for weeks and months, even when they no longer serve us a purpose.

Craft Your Eco-Friendly Bathroom By Making Conscious Choices 

Many cosmetics, toiletries, and even toothpaste tubes often come with excessive plastic packaging and cardboard boxes, including those that claim they are eco-friendly products. Try to avoid purchasing these heavily-packaged products if you wish to create a planet-friendly bathroom and reduce your household waste disposal. Instead, we advise you to:

• Opt for products that come with sustainable, biodegradable, or compostable packaging materials, corrugated bubble wrap, biodegradable foam beads and more.
• When bathroom products are packaged in reusable boxes or bubble wrap, it is always eco-friendly to find a new purpose (a new use) for such bathroom packaging where possible.

Use Biodegradable Products

• • Think ‘biodegradable’ – Looking to reduce your plastic disposal? Instead of tossing out used plastic combs or brushes, make the switch to a biodegradable bamboo or wooden toothbrush/hairbrushes. Wooden and bamboo care products have become stylish and trendy in 2024, and these all-natural, biodegradable products retail in most shops.
  • Ditch the plastics – Switch to using soap bars and shampoo bars to eliminate the use of plastic bottles completely, dramatically reducing household waste disposal of plastic. Ditching the plastics will also save you money in the long term, as these eco-friendly sanitary bars are cheaper than the liquid soap, shampoos and shower gels that come in non-recyclable plastic pumps. 
  • Rinse & repeat – When it comes to makeup removal or skincare application, cotton pads are being used and discarded after single use. Rather than using numerous cotton pads, switch to using washable cotton which can be cleaned with your regular laundry and restored to its fresh form. It’s great to see several make-up brands in the cosmetics industry (including multinational Boots) now rewarding their customers for recycling used beauty and hygiene products.
  • Go organic – To play your eco-friendly part when washing your hands, seek organic, palm oil-free soaps. These soaps come in compostable packaging, are made from 100% natural ingredients. This means they have no link to animal cruelty as they do not undergo animal testing, a thought you will be proud to bear each time you go to wash your hands. 

Transform with Recycling 

Are you looking for smart ways to have an eco-friendly bathroom and reduce household waste? The good news is that a LOT of your bathroom waste items are recyclable, even though only 50% of us are actually recycling them according to Hubbub (2023). Here is a list of some common bathroom products that can (and should) be recycled: 

• Shampoo, conditioner & shower gel bottles
• Toilet roll tubes
• Hand soap bottles (reuse or remove the pump dispenser as you cannot recycle it) 
• Cardboard boxes, e.g., toothpaste or soap boxes 
• Bathroom cleaner and bleach bottles 
• Deodorant lids 

Note: Items like nappies, toilet rolls, wipes, and cotton wool CANNOT be recycled and should be disposed of in the general waste bin (black Barna bin). 

All items being recycled must be clean, dry, and loose. Be sure to rinse out any bottles and containers before putting them in the recycling bin. Check out What Goes in My Blue Bin if you are unsure about what items that you can recycle. 

Go Green With Barna Recycling

Barna Recycling is Connacht’s leading provider of waste management services, providing a professional, reliable and environmentally friendly service. Not yet a customer? Join today and enjoy the peace of mind that we will recycle what you throw away, lowering the costs to our customers and also to our shared environment.

Learn more about our contract options and sign up today.

What Goes In The General Waste Bin?

Spring has finally come, and we can’t wait for the first glimpses of summer. If you are like us, you would agree when we say now is the perfect time to declutter and organise your homes inside out for the summer months. However, as you declutter your home, you might often wonder which waste items from your home clear out go in the general waste bin and which items cannot be disposed of as general waste.

To help you get your home ready for summer, we have outlined a few tips and key information about what goes in the general waste bin. We have also outlined where to dispose of items that can’t be put in a general waste bin and how to dispose of other oversized items that won’t fit in your household bins.

Why Is General Waste Disposal Management Important?

Proper general waste handling, collection, transportation, and disposal aims at minimising the adverse impacts of waste on the environment, public health, and safety. Understanding the importance of effective waste management is crucial for ensuring sustainable development and preserving natural resources.

What Goes In The General Waste Bin?

Generally, the black bin is for any waste items that you CANNOT put into your recycling or organic bins. It’s also important to remember NOT to include any kind of liquids in your general waste bin and ensure you separate the packaging to segregate out the food waste and recyclable materials such as envelopes, milk cartons, and newspapers. This way, you are saving costs, maximising space, and making sure that you are not overloading your general waste bin.

The waste in your black bin is collected by Barna Recycling and processed to recover any recyclables. The remaining non-recyclable fraction is then sent for landfill disposal with energy recovery.

Correct Waste Disposal: See a List Of General Waste Items

In general, most non-recyclable and non-organic waste go into the general waste bin. However, there are exceptions, items that don’t go in any of the three bins and, therefore, should be properly disposed of at civic amenities. See a list of items that can go in the general waste bin:

• Nappies
• Ashes**
• Tin Foil
• Aero board
• Contaminated & Wet Paper
• Non-recyclable plastic
• Food wrappers

**When disposing of ashes in your general waste bin, ensure you place the ashes in a bag first. There are two critical reasons for this:

1. Hot ashes are the number one reason a bin can catch on fire. So, placing the ashes in a bag will help you determine whether they are cool enough to be placed in the bin.
2. It keeps the bin and the truck from getting dirty with loose ashes, which could also dirty other householders’ bins. Moreover, on windy days, the ashes can be blown over and dirty the area.

Items Not To Go Into Your General Waste Bin

• Paint cans – You can bring them to a local Civic Amenity Site
• Clothes – Clothes can’t go in your waste bin but can be brought to a clothes bank or charity shop.
• IT equipment and electrical goods—More commonly referred to as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), all electrical goods retailers must be registered as producers of WEEE and will take back your old electrical equipment free of charge when you buy new goods.
• Batteries—You can bring used batteries back to shops. Many supermarkets have drop-off points for recycling batteries.
• Glass – Should be washed and brought to your nearest bottle bank.
• Duvets – Can’t be disposed of in your waste bin, but they can be brought to your local Civic Amenity Site.
• Bulky waste items – Old furniture, couches, mattresses, tables, and large household appliances that have seen the end of their useable life can be brought to a local civic amenity site near you.

Disposing Of Large Items That Can’t Be Put In Your General Waste Bin

You can consider hiring a skip for larger items that can’t be disposed of in your general waste bin, which makes decluttering your homes much easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes, so you can be sure we’ll have one to suit your needs and the space available to you – check out our handy skip sizing guide here.

Benefits of hiring a Skip

Here are the top 3 benefits of hiring a Skip to dispose of large items:

• You can keep the skip as long as you require it.
• You have the convenience of not having to take large, awkward items in your car to the Civic Amenity Site.
• If you are a Barna Recycling customer, you can get a discount if you order a skip from us. All you need is to have your Barna Recycling Account number handy.

Items that can’t go in a skip are as follows:

• Hazardous Waste: A significant rule that is often forgotten is that hazardous waste should not go in a skip. It can leak and contaminate other recyclable materials.
• Asbestos: If asbestos is found during a renovation project or a home clearout, it must be dealt with by a team of specialists and not put into a general skip.
• Appliances: Other items that we find cause great confusion are electrical items, especially large household items. Refrigerators, freezers, microwaves & cookers should not go in a skip but instead be brought to a Civic Amenity Site.
• Oil or paint cans & tyres
• Solvents, fuels and batteries
• Chemicals, flammable materials
• Household waste includes food scraps, soiled nappies, and sanitary items.
• Liquid Concrete

Find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located. If you have any questions on skip hire, do not hesitate to contact a member of our skip hire team on 091 771619.

2024 Hacks: Mastering Household Waste Disposal

As we step into 2024, mastering household waste disposal is not just a responsible choice but a necessity for a sustainable future. Understanding the different types of waste streams is the first step towards successful household waste management. Waste classification into organic, recyclable, and non-recyclable components sets the foundation for effective disposal techniques.

What is considered household waste?

The waste produced in households, and similar waste produced by businesses, is also called municipal waste or Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Household waste is a diverse category encompassing general, recyclable, and organic waste collected directly at kerbside and back door, or brought to waste collection centres like bring banks, civic amenity sites, and pay-to-use compactors.

According to Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last report, in 2021, out of a substantial 1.84 million tonnes of household waste that were generated in the state, 1.81 million tonnes was managed. However, an estimated 25,700 tonnes remained unmanaged, emphasising the need for continued investments in waste management solutions to address this issue.

Although MSW accounts for just around 10% of total waste generated across the EU, it is difficult to manage since it comprises several streams, including general waste, mixed dry recycling, and organic waste, as well as a high number of producers.

Disposing of household waste

Every household is entitled to a general and a recycling bin from a waste collector. If a customer lives in an area of 500 people or more, they are entitled to general, recycling and organic waste bins. Waste collection providers usually have a colour-coded system for separating household waste. At Barna Recycling, for example, we have black, blue, and brown bins.

• See what goes in your Black Bin (General waste)
• See what goes in your Blue Bin (Recycling waste)
• See what goes in your Brown Bin (Organic waste)

Even though bins are colour-coded and customers are provided with information regarding household waste disposal management, contamination of bins is still a big issue, with recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures indicating that 20% of the material in household recycling bins should not be there, and significant 70% of the material in general waste bins from the commercial sector should be in recycling or organic bins.

This translates into a substantial loss of resource value—a costly oversight for both households and businesses. However, proper waste segregation can be the solution to lower waste charges and safeguard investments in local treatment capabilities.

TIP: Ensure you maximise the space in your bins by breaking down waste before you put it in. This is especially important for the recycling bin. Cardboard boxes and packaging can quickly take up a lot of space, so be sure to break down bulkier items. Remember that overflowing bins or items left out beside your bins may not be taken away.

**If your bin is overflowing well in advance of your collection day, call the Barna Customer Care Team on 091 771619 to discuss your options. 

How to dispose of household hazardous waste?

Embarking on the journey of proper household waste disposal begins with a critical first step – the identification of hazardous waste lurking within the confines of your home. Everyday items take on a hazardous identity, the most common being pesticides, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, paints, solvents, and various cleaning agents.

The key is not just recognition but the meticulous segregation of these potentially harmful materials. You can either find a local drop-off location like our Civic Amenity Centres – see items accepted – or, depending on the case, bring the item back to the place where it was purchased. You can also check EPA’s guide to hazardous waste prevention.

Some hazardous items include:

• Waste Paint/ Paint Thinners/ Strippers
• White Spirit Creosotes
• Adhesives/Glues
• Aerosols Waste
• Antifreeze/Coolants
• Bleaches
• Chemicals with Identification Labels
• Cleaning Agents
• Detergents
• Engine Oils
• Epoxy Resins
• Herbicides/ Pesticides
• Medicines
• Pharmacy Waste
• Silicones

TIP: Since batteries cannot be disposed of at home, you must bring them back to the place where they were purchased or to a Civic Amenity Site. Electrical items such as chargers also need to be disposed of correctly. They need to be returned to where they were purchased or should be brought to a WEEE drop-off recycling point or your local Civic Amenity Site to be disposed of. Learn more about how to dispose of WEEE the right way.

Household waste recycling centres

A recycling centre, also known as civic amenity site, is an EPA-licensed drive-in facility fully equipped and designed to recycle a wide range of household products. These facilities take bagged household waste, food waste, and bulky items, such as furniture, for disposal.

Not all types of hazardous waste are accepted in these centres, so for details on the types of waste material accepted and any charges that may apply you should check with the waste collection provider.

You can learn more about Barna Recycling’s Recycling Centres here.

Ready to master household waste disposal and lower your costs with waste management In 2024?

Mastering household waste disposal in 2024 goes beyond individual actions—it’s about embracing a holistic approach that also entails conscious consumer choices, including a waste collection provider that helps you navigate the challenges of waste management for a more sustainable future.

Barna Recycling is Connacht’s leading provider of waste management services, providing a professional, reliable and environmentally friendly service. Join Ireland’s number one environmentally friendly waste collection provider and enjoy the peace of mind that we will recycle what you throw away.

References:

Household Waste Statistics for Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring–assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/household/#:~:text=Household%20waste%20includes%20general%20waste,pay%2Dto%2Duse%20compactors.

A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy – Ireland’s National Waste Policy 2020-2025, Government of Ireland. https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/86647/dcf554a4-0fb7-4d9c-9714-0b1fbe7dbc1a.pdf#page=null

Optimising The Management Of Your Household Waste Disposal

Using the appropriate tools can help you optimise the management of household waste disposal. And understanding the needs of our household customers, we have developed a mobile app to smooth household waste disposal management while providing professional, reliable, and environmentally friendly services. 

Benefits of Barna Recycling Household App

Barna Recycling household app features go beyond simply allowing you to see your bin collection history. Here are five key benefits of having Barna Recycling household customer app on your mobile.

1. Receive collection reminders

Never miss a collection day anymore. Sometimes we can get caught up in our busy daily routine and forget it’s collection day or what type of waste will be collected. Barna Recycling household app sends you reminders about the collection, helping you to keep up with the calendar and avoid waste clustering.

2. View your collection calendar

Have easy and quick access to your collection calendar at any time. Our household waste collection calendar helps you sort your waste and organise bins for the collection day.

3. Account Support

Need to sort out any issues or ask questions about your Barna Recycling account? Our household app also allows you to contact us and get account support without having to make any calls. Our customer support team will answer enquiries about your account, bin collections, and payment issues.

4. Pay & top up your account and view account transactions

You can use our Barna Recycling household app to top up your account and pay your bills online. The option ‘Snap Pay’ allows you to pay your Barna Recycling bill safely with a click of a button. You can also view all your account transactions and keep up with your balance. 

5. Monitor the weight of the waste disposed

Avoid excessive weight charges. With Barna Recycling’s app, you can monitor the waste disposed of and ensure you don’t exceed the maximum weight per bin of 50kg. 

Have Access To Your Barna Recycling Account 24/7

Enjoy the ease of accessing your Barna Recycling account and take advantage of all our app’s benefits. Download Barna Recycling app today and enhance the management of your household waste disposal.

Barna Recycling’s Complete Moving House Checklist: Student Edition

With finishing exams season and the academic year ending, it is that time of the year again where students move back home for the summer months. At Barna Recycling, we understand that moving out can be very hectic especially when you are living in rented student accommodation.

A frequent practice by students is to bring home unnecessary waste and items that they will never use again after the academic year is over. So instead of having to bring all this waste back home in the car, it’s a good idea to do a complete clear-out of your student accommodation.

Below we provide some of our top tricks and tips for students and parents owners that will help you on moving day! Sometimes it is difficult to know where you can dispose of your rubbish, what to do with any books, exam papers and notes that you don’t want to see the sight of again. You are probably wondering where to put all the cans, glass bottles, traffic cones, election posters or any other mysterious items you may have collected throughout the year.

How can I dispose of my rubbish?

When moving out of your rental accommodation, it is difficult to know which waste items from your home clear out would go into your usual waste bins and what shouldn’t. You want to the leave the property as clean as possible as it was when you moved in.
This Newsletter will provide valuable tips and tricks for students and parents.

Students

• Books & Papers: If you have old college books in good condition, you can donate them to the college library or request the student’s union to sell them on your behalf. Alternatively, you can pass them on to someone who has signed up to do the same course/subject in the upcoming academic year. If the books can’t be reused, you can put old books in your recycling bin.
• Glass Bottles: If you need to dispose of glass bottles, visit your nearest bottle bank. However, make sure they are washed, dried, and separated into brown, clear or green glass.
• Cans: once washed can go in your recycling bin too.
• Clothes, Bedding & Mattresses: Any type of old clothing, footwear, textiles including blankets in unusable condition can be brought to your local civic amenity sites to be disposed off a reduced rate. Alternatively, clothes in usable condition that you no longer want can be given to siblings or friends, brought to a charity shop or your nearest, clothes bank.
• Electrical items: You can bring unwanted electrical waste, more commonly known as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), such as Computers, Monitors, Mobile Phones, Electronic Toys, Game consoles, Speakers, Headphones and electrical appliances to your local amenity site to dispose it free of charge. Check out our blog to find out more about disposing of WEEE items.
• Kitchen Items: If you have kitchen items that are in good condition but do not need to be kept, a charity shop would only be delighted to receive them.

Parents

If helping clear out their student accommodation, come prepared with a bucket load of patience, rubber gloves, cleaning items and black bags

• Help them to decide what items they want to keep and what needs to be thrown out.
• Have a rubbish bag prepared for general waste and one for recycling
• Try and decide what they want to do with the bulky items first such as the bed clothes, pots and pans, kettles etc If they are being dumped or recycled it will save quite a bit of space in the car. If they are being kept, then it will help them to see that there is little room left in the car and to be stricter about what they are keeping.
• Encourage them to go through clothes and dump anything that is well worn or has holes in it (provided it’s not the good jeans with rips at the knees!)
• To make the process fast and efficient, while the student is sorting through their room, you could be packing up items in the kitchen and cleaning out their presses.
• Encourage them to recycle or sell on any old books, notes, clothes, or other useful items such as a bike before the moving out date.
• If the kitchen items are in good condition but do not need to be kept, a charity shop would only be delighted to receive them.
• Many charities often have collection points or van pickups at universities so make sure to ask or enquire about these services if suitable.

Get to Know Your Local Civic Amenity Site

Barna Recycling’s purpose-built Civic Amenity Sites will assist you greatly when moving out of your home. We have seven civic amenity sites across Connacht for your convenience, where you can dispose of a large variety of non-hazardous and recyclable household waste at a reduced cost. Visit our website to find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located

Here are some of the benefits of using one of our civic amenity sites.

• They are cost-effective and cheap to use.
• Accept a wide range of items, including hazardous materials.
• They are clean, local, and easily accessible.
• Open on weekends to make them more accessible to all.
• They are well laid out and marked for each waste material.
• Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.
• Provide WEEE and Glass Bottle services free of charge.
• Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.

The items accepted will vary for each of our civic amenity sites. Please be sure to call in advance or check our website for the complete list of items accepted at your nearest centre. The charges for the items you bring to the respective civic amenity centre will be based on the type of vehicle you have, not the quantity or weight of the waste items themselves.

Our Barna Recycling team are always on hand at our civic amenity sites to greet you on arrival, assist you with drop-offs, and provide you with advice and information about recycling and waste disposal.

Alternatively, you can choose to hire a skip, which also makes throwing away rubbish much quicker and easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes for all purposes, so you can be sure we will have one to suit your needs and requirements– have a look at our helpful skip sizing guide here for more information.

If you would like more information on where to dispose of certain items or order a skip, give us a call today on 091 771619.

Barna Recycling’s Easy Guide to a Spring Home Clear-out

With summer sunshine truly underway, we are all enjoying the current spell of good weather. If you are like us, you would agree that now is the perfect time to declutter your homes inside out to enjoy the summer months. However, you might often wonder what waste items from your home clear out would go into your usual waste bins and what shouldn’t.

In this article, we have outlined some tips and key information to help you understand what can and can’t go into your waste bin and how to dispose of oversized items that can’t fit in your household bins.

So, what can go into your General waste bins?

• Nappies
• Ashes (Must be cooled and tied in a bag to reduce the risk of fire and dirtying the bins)
• Tin Foil
• Aero board
• Contaminated & Wet Paper

Check out our blog on top tips for waste awareness & disposal for more detailed information.

Items that cannot go into your General Waste Bin

• Paint cans – You can bring them to a local Civic Amenity Site
• Clothes can’t go in your waste bin but can be brought to a clothes bank or charity shop.
• IT equipment and electrical goods are more commonly referred to as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)– You can find out more about disposing of WEEE items at our blog.
• Batteries – You can bring used batteries back to shops, many supermarkets have drop off points to recycle batteries,
• Glass – should be washed and brought to your nearest bottle bank,
• Duvets can’t be disposed of in your waste bin, but they can be brought to your local Civic Amenity Site
• Bulky waste items – Old furniture, couches, mattresses, tables, and large household appliances that have seen the end of its useable life can be brought to a local civic amenity site near you.

Hiring a skip

You can consider hiring a skip for larger items that can’t be disposed of in your general waste bin, which makes decluttering your homes so much easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes, so you can be sure we’ll have one to suit your needs and the space available to you – check out our handy skip sizing guide here.

Benefits of hiring a skip:

• You can keep the skip as long as you require it. *Please be advised that a weekly rental charge may apply
• You have the convenience of not having to take large, awkward items in your car to the Civic Amenity Site.
• If you are a Barna Recycling customer, you can get a discount if you order a skip from us. All you need is to have your Barna Recycling Account number handy.

Items that can’t go in a skip are as follows:

• Hazardous Waste: A significant rule that is often forgotten is that hazardous waste should not go in a skip. It can leak and contaminate other recyclable materials.
• Asbestos: If you come across asbestos during a renovation project or a home clear out, this must be dealt with by a team of specialists and not put into a general skip.
• Appliances: Other items that we find cause great confusion is around electrical items, especially large household items. Refrigerators, freezers, microwaves & cookers should not go in a skip but instead, be brought to a Civic Amenity Site.
• Oil or Paint cans, Tyres
• Solvents, fuels, and batteries
• Chemicals, flammable materials
• Household waste includes food scraps, soiled nappies, and sanitary items.
• Liquid Concrete

For more information on skip hire, do not hesitate to contact a member of our skip hire team on 091 771619.

Barna Recycling’s Top Tips to Disposing Bulky Waste Items

We all have those large items in our house that always tend to take up too much space, yet we never get around to disposing them because are unsure how. These large waste items can be classified as “Bulky Waste”, as they are items that cannot fit in your general waste bins (example: furniture, bedding). We often get asked by customers what to do with these bulky waste items.

Below we have outlined some of our top tips to help you dispose of bulky waste efficiently and effectively.

First, let’s have a look at some of the common bulky waste items:

• Couches
• Chairs
• Tables
• Mattress – Did you know? Around eighty per cent (80%) of most mattress’ components can be recycled.
• Old furniture such as wardrobes, bed frames
• Large household appliances (fridges, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers)
• TV

Donate To Charity

Before you dispose of your bulky waste in the trash, if it’s in a good condition you could always donate it to a local charity. There are several charities around the country that are willing to collect old but clean and functional furniture from your home and bring it to those in need. The Irish Charity Shops Association website will help you to find the nearest charity shops near you. Be sure to check in advance if the charity shop accepts furniture and large items.

Why not try upcycling?

If you’re still in love with your old furniture and want to get the maximum use out of it, you could always try to upcycle them where possible to create something entirely new. It is also a nice way to spend your weekends, by getting your creative juices flowing. And chances are you could end up creating something spectacular that you can advertise to sell and make some money. Need some more convincing? Check out MyWaste.ie’s video content around upcycling and selling items – Click Here

Civic Amenity Sites

If your bulky item has seen the end of its useable life, and you feel you cannot do any of the above, you can always bring them to your local civic amenity site near you. However, an extra charge would apply for disposing of bedding and mattresses.

A member of the Barna Recycling team will meet you on arrival at the civic amenity site, to identify the contents you want to dispose of. Our experienced and helpful staff will advise you and direct you towards where the materials should be put on site.

On some days and at some sites there are people to help you with the unloading of materials, but this isn’t always the case. If you need help you can always give us a ring to let us know in advance, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Don’t forget we also accept the below free of charge – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) For more info on how to correctly dispose of WEEE click here

Get the most out of your visit to our civic amenity sites by planning ahead. To see more information about our Civic Amenity Sites please CLICK HERE

Barna Recycling’s Guide to Household Waste Disposal

The first quarter of the year is the ideal time to start practising new habits when it comes to waste disposal, which we hope you will add to your list of new year resolutions!

And if like us you want to maintain a structured household waste disposal system that is easy to follow, you might be unsure where to start. But you would be delighted to know simple changes to your shopping and waste management habits is all it takes to be more sustainable.

Below we have outlined some of our top tips to make household waste disposal more sustainable for you in 2022:

Food Waste:

Firstly, let’s have a look at some top tips to keep in mind when it comes to Food Waste:

• Keep an organic/food bin in your kitchen to toss all your vegetable peels, leftover seeds, eggshells, etc., while you are cooking.
• Be sure to store your fruits and vegetables correctly and use your freezer to reduce wastage and get the most out of your fresh food.
• As much as possible, try not to toss out any leftover food in good condition. You can always store it in the fridge and reheat it again for lunch the next day.
• Plan your meals – Creating a meal plan for the week and meal prepping in advance can help you save time and get the most out of your produce.
• Home Composting is also an excellent way to get the most out of your organic food as well as your green garden waste. Click here to check out our helpful guide on composting to get started!

Shopping:

• Be sure to check your fridge and cupboards in advance and make a list of all the items that you need before heading to the supermarket for your weekly or monthly grocery haul beforehand. Sticking to a list will ensure you are effectively managing waste by reducing consumption and buying less.
• Always opt FOR reusable shopping bags to limit plastic waste. Be sure to keep reusable bags in your car or close to the front door or someplace to remind you to take it with you.
• Likewise, avoid using small plastic bags when picking up fresh fruits or vegetables. Some supermarkets also provide sustainable options that are good for the environment.
• When it comes to toiletries, cosmetics or household items opt for products that come with sustainable or biodegradable packaging materials that can be reused or recycled easily. With boxes or bubble wrap, it is always a clever idea to re-use them where possible.

Here at Barna, we find that there is always some confusion around which bin packaging items should go in. Check out our blog on correctly disposing of different types of packaging waste.

Announcement: Barna Recycling Household Mobile App Update 2022

The Barna Recycling team is happy to announce the launch of our newly updated household customer mobile app, with a range of new features and improved functionalities to make your life easier.

Android users:

• Simply uninstall the existing Barna Recycling App on your phone.
• Once that’s done search for Barna Recycling in the App Store and install the latest version.

iPhone users however should notice an automatic update of their existing app to the latest version.

If you have large volumes of waste that cannot fit into your household bins, you can drop them off at one of our seven local civic amenity sites across Connacht to dispose of them at a reduced cost. Visit our website to find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located. If you have any questions on skip hire, do not hesitate to contact a member of our skip hire team on 091 771619. Also, check out our helpful skip sizing guide here.