New recycling campaign aims to massively reduce amount of waste being disposed of incorrectly [Video]

TWO-THIRDS OF waste that ends up in landfill could have been either composted or recycled, according to research from the Environmental Protection Agency. The items misplaced most often are food waste, followed closely by soft plastics.

In response, MyWaste, the state agency with responsibility for waste, has launched a national awareness campaign – “Take a minute before you bin it”. The campaign aims to encourage collaboration between policy makers and the waste industry to “foster behavioural change in relation to recycling habits”.

The campaign especially seeks to clear up confusion surrounding items most commonly thrown in the wrong bin.

These include:

• soiled kitchen roll, which can go in the food waste bin as it breaks down in commercial composting facilities.
• soft plastics, which should go in the recycling bin once they are clean and dry.
• aluminium trays and foil, which should also go in the recycling bin.

EU targets

The campaign comes as deadlines for EU municipal waste recycling targets approach, …