The recycling bin

For cardboard, all plastic packaging and tins and cans.

What to do with your recycling

If your packaging falls into these categories it can be placed in the recycle bin – clean, dry and loose.

Why this is important

Recycling turns our waste materials into new useful products or back into the same thing again – glass bottles & jars are a great example as they are infinitely recyclable. This reduces the use of finite raw materials, saves energy and helps control air, water and land pollution.

Recycling is a group effort. We all have our part to play to not only recycle as much waste as possible but to also make sure our recycling is properly sorted. Recycling that includes non-recyclable items or is contaminated with food waste can end up in landfill.

It only takes a few minutes to rinse out plastic, glass and tin containers and sort our cardboard, this is a simple climate action we can all take.

Currently Ireland recycles approximately 30% of all plastics in use in the country. Recycling targets for packaging are very challenging, by 2025 the target set by the EU is to recycle 50% of all plastic and by 2030 55%. All of us play a part in helping Ireland achieve the EU and national targets. You can play your part by ensuring all soft plastic is now placed in the recycling bin clean, dry and loose.

Where do the contents of your recycling bin go?