Decluttering Tips & Trips For A Stress-Free Holiday Season

At Barna Recycling, we understand decluttering your homes during the busiest time of the year can be overwhelming, so we have outlined some of our top decluttering tips to follow for a stress-free & mess-free holiday season!

From clearing out the massive mess in the shed, old clutter in the attic and sorting out all the unused clothing, old blankets, and bedding to old books, now is the perfect time to deep clean your homes inside and out before the holiday season!
 
Below, we have outlined our top three decluttering tips and key information to help you understand what to do with the different types of waste from your home clear out.  

 

Decluttering Tip 1: Use Your Local Civic Amenity Site  

Our first top decluttering tip is to take advantage of Barna Recycling’s purpose-built Civic Amenity Sites. These local sites will assist you greatly when clearing out 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. Click here 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. 

 

Decluttering Tip 2: Check The Types of Items Accepted At The Civic Amenity Sites 

Our second decluttering tip is important for the correct disposal of waste. Below are examples of types of items accepted at our sites.
 
Old blankets/ Bedding & Mattresses: Some of our civic amenity sites will also accept any type of clothing, footwear, and textiles, including blankets, at selected civic amenity sites. However, an extra charge would apply for disposing of bedding and mattresses.
 
Books: Generally, books should be placed in the household recycling bin. However, if you have a large volume of old books, phone books, newspapers, and magazines, you can dispose of them at some of our local civic amenity sites.
 
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 of it free of charge. Check out our blog for decluttering tips on disposing of WEEE items.

Old Swing sets and Garden Furniture: If you have an old garden swing or garden furniture still in working condition, you could consider selling it, passing it on to someone else or donating it to local charity shops. If they require disposal, you can bring them to your nearest local civic amenity site. Most wood, metal, and plastic furniture are widely accepted and recycled at civic amenity sites. If you have large volumes of garden waste or are undertaking bigger garden projects where you are completely redoing your lawn, landscaping, cutting or removing hedging, then hiring a skip would be the right option for you.
 

Decluttering Tip 3: Too Much Waste? Hire a Skip 

 You can choose to hire a skip, which 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. 

 

Declutter Your Home Stress-Free With Barna Recycling 

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. Follow our top decluttering tips and have a stress-free and mess-free holiday season.

How To Reduce Household Waste Disposal In Your Bathroom

When it comes to reducing household waste disposal, we find that bathroom waste often gets overlooked. However, we all use toiletries, personal care items and bathroom cleaners daily, which makes our bathroom 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. And most importantly, you need to know how and where to dispose of your waste correctly. 
 
Below we have outlined some handy tips and techniques for creating a low-waste, eco-friendly bathroom and reducing household waste disposal.

Start Reducing Your Household Waste Disposal By Decluttering & Reorganising 

Firstly, I am sure you will agree with us when we say the fewer products you have in your bathroom, the less waste you will produce. So, here is how to start reducing your household waste disposal: 

• Occasionally, dedicate time to reorganise and rearrange all your cosmetics, toiletries, and personal care items, to know what you need and use regularly and keep them easy to reach. 
• Dispose of the items that you do not need and the ones that have expired 

 

Shopping Smart Is Key For Reducing Household Waste Disposal 

Many cosmetics, toiletries, and even toothpaste tubes often come with excessive plastic packaging and cardboard boxes, including those that say are eco-friendly products!  Try to avoid purchasing these products if you wish to reduce your household waste disposal.  

• Opt for products that come with sustainable, biodegradable, or compostable packaging materials, corrugated bubble wrap, biodegradable foam beads and more. 
• With boxes or bubble wrap, it is always a good idea to reuse them where possible. 

Use Biodegradable Products 

• Looking to reduce your household waste disposal of plastic? Instead of tossing out used plastic combs or brushes, make the switch to a biodegradable bamboo or wooden toothbrush/hairbrush. You can find wooden and bamboo combs and brushes that are all natural, biodegradable, and very stylish! 
• Switch to using soap bars and shampoo bars to eliminate the use of plastic bottles completely, dramatically reducing household waste disposal of plastic. This is way more eco-friendly and cheaper when compared to liquid soap, shampoos and shower gels that come in plastic containers and non-recyclable plastic pumps. 
• When it comes to makeup or skincare, it is quite common to use up cotton pads per day and throw them after use. Instead, switch to using washable cotton makeup removal pads, which can be washed along with your regular laundry. Several make-up brands, in fact, reward you for recycling their old products which might be worth looking into. 
• To create more impact, look for organic, palm oil-free soaps made from natural ingredients without any animal testing and comes with compostable packaging. 

Know What You Can Recycle In Your Bathroom And Dramatically Reduce Household Waste Disposal 

Are you looking for ways to reduce household waste? The good news is that a LOT of your bathroom waste items can in fact be recycled. Here is a list of that can (and should) be recycled from the bathroom: 

• 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 soapboxes 
• Bathroom cleaner and bleach bottles 
• Deodorant lids 

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

All items being recycled must be clean, dry, and loose. So be sure to rinse out any bottles and containers before popping them in the recycling bin. You can also check What Goes in My Blue Bin if you are unsure of items that you can recycle. 

An Effective Guide to Reducing Household Waste: Bathroom Edition

If you pay close attention to 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, our bathrooms are packed with recyclables!

Even though we all use toiletries, personal care items and bathroom cleaners on a daily basis. When it comes to reducing household waste, we find bathroom waste often tends to get overlooked. It’s important to understand how and where to dispose of your bathroom waste correctly.

Below we have outlined some excellent tips and techniques for creating a low waste, eco-friendly bathroom.

Reorganise & Declutter

The fewer products you have in your bathroom, the less waste you will produce!

• Every now and then dedicate time to reorganise and rearrange all your cosmetics, personal care items and toiletries. So, you know what you need/use regularly and keep them easy to reach.
• Dispose of the items that you do not need or the ones that have expired

Use Biodegradable Products

• Instead of using plastic combs and brushes, opt for a biodegradable bamboo or wooden toothbrush/hairbrush. You can find wooden/bamboo combs and brushes that are all-natural, biodegradable and very chic!
• Instead of buying shampoos and soaps in plastic bottles, switch to using soap bars and shampoo cars. This is way is eco-friendlier and more cost-effective compared to using liquid soap, shampoos and shower gels that come in plastic containers and non-recyclable plastic pumps.
• You can also go a step further and look for organic, palm oil free soaps made from all-natural ingredients with compostable packaging.
• If you are someone with a regular makeup or skincare routine, then you know it is quite common to use up cotton pads per day and throwing them away after use. Instead, we recommend using reusable cotton makeup removal pads, which can be washed along with your regular laundry. In fact, several make-up brands, reward you for recycling their old products which might also be worth looking into.

Shop Smart

• Most beauty products & toiletries, tend to come with excessive plastic packaging including cardboard boxes, sometimes even the ones that say are eco-friendly!
• Instead of purchasing these products, opt for products that come with sustainable, compostable, or biodegradable packaging materials, corrugated bubble wrap, biodegradable foam beads etc. With boxes or bubble wrap, it is always a good idea to re-use them where possible.

Understand what you can recycle

The good news is that almost all your bathroom waste items can in fact be recycled. Here is a list of the items that can (and should) be recycled from your bathroom:

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

Note: Items such as nappies, toilet rolls, wipes, cotton wool CANNOT be recycled and would have to be disposed of in the general waste bin (black Barna bin)
Remember, all items being recycled must be clean, dry, and loose. So, make sure to rinse out any bottles and containers before popping them into your recycling bin. You can also check What Goes in My Blue Bin if you are unsure of items that you can recycle.

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

Barna Recycling’s Top Tips for Waste Awareness & Disposal

The best way to effectively manage waste is by using fewer resources, reducing consumption, and buying less. Here at Barna Recycling, we are always trying to find ways to educate our customers on the steps they can take to minimise household waste daily. It all starts with understanding what items go where.

Below we have outlined some smart tips to help you to reduce your bin costs and be environmentally friendly when it comes to waste management for each bin type.

General Waste Bin

Generally, this bin is for any waste items that you CANNOT put into your recycling or organic such as Ashes, Tin foil, paint, non-recyclable plastic, food wrappers.

• ALWAYS remember NOT to include any kind of liquids in your general waste bin
• ALWAYS ensure you separate the packaging to segregate out the food waste and recyclable materials such as envelopes, milk cartons, newspapers. This way, you are saving costs, maximising space, and making sure that you are not overloading your general waste bin.
• Use a reusable lunchbox to store your food instead of cling film or tinfoil.
• Should you have additional waste to dispose of, such as extra bags or cardboard boxes, please make sure you let our office know beforehand. This is so we can inform the people collecting your waste, so they can watch out for the bags at the right house. (Sometimes non-customers leave waste alongside customers bins).

Click here for the full list of items that cannot go into your black bin.

Food waste/Compost bin

Below are some of our top tips for reducing food waste at home.

• Always Shop Smart – write a shopping list before you head to the grocery store and stick to only purchasing items on the list!
• Plan your meals – Create a meal plan for the week and meal prep in advance to save time
• Make sure fruit and vegetables are stored correctly. Use your freezer as much as possible

Green Waste – Grass, leaves and hedge clippings

Green waste can be disposed of in your compost bin along with your organic food waste. Home Composting is an excellent way to get the most out of your organic food as well as your green garden waste. It reduces the need to collect, process, treat and/or dispose of biodegradable materials and can be used as a potting mix for your garden, as it is rich in nutrients and is great for soil health. Check out our useful guide on composting to get started!

Recycling bin

You can check What Goes in My Blue Bin if you are unsure of items that can be recycled

• Break down larger items such as boxes and squash them down, before putting them into the bin.
• Food containers must be clean, dry and loose in your recycling bin.
• Utilise reusable bags while shopping to help limit plastic waste and always look for items with recyclable, sustainable packaging options
• DO NOT use black bags in the recycling bin otherwise, your bins may not be emptied.

Here is a list of recycling and non-recyclable packaging:

Packaging Material	Recyclable Y/N	Information
Cardboard	Y	This can be disposed of in your recycling bin, however, ensure you remove as much packaging tape as you can first.
Bubble Wrap	N	This is not currently recyclable and should be placed in your general waste bin.
Padded Envelopes	N	Not recyclable due to the presence of bubble wrap. Put this in your general waste bin.
Polystyrene Foam	N	This should be placed in the general waste bin.
Paper	Y	Make sure items are clean, dry, and placed loosely in the bin.
Envelope	Y	Most envelopes are ok to recycle, however, if it contains a window then this type of envelope will need to be placed in the general waste bin.
Sellotape	N	This should be placed in the general waste bin. Small amounts are OK to add to the recycle bin but, if possible, try to remove it

If you have large volumes of general, recyclable, or organic waste, you could always bring them to one of our seven civic amenity sites across Connacht to dispose of them at a reduced cost. Click here for more information on our civic amenity sites.

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