Bin Tag & Brown Bin info

Waste Prevention

Approximately 62% of waste in County Westmeath goes to landfill. This is not sustainable or acceptable and we must achieve a situation where sending waste to landfill is OUR LAST OPTION.

Prevention, Reduction, Reuse and Recycling is the preferred options in managing household waste to reduce the amount of waste that is produced in the first place.

A new website mywaste.ie has been launched and is Ireland’s official guide to managing your waste. Here you will find everything you need to know about how to manage your waste responsibly and efficiently. Browse the site for local waste services, recycling facilities, information on preventing, reusing and disposing of waste, see https://www.mywaste.ie/

Back to Basics

Attached is a list of items that can be put into your Brown Bin to help reduce waste

Back to Basics

Prevention

Prevention is the best method of reducing waste - if we don't buy it we don't have to dispose of it. In Ireland, the average family spends €400- €1,000 on food that ends up being thrown in the bin. If we know what we waste, plan meals, prepare a shopping list and store and serve the food properly we maximise the nutritional and monetary value from our food. Try taking the "Stop Food Waste" Challenge to reduce your food waste by 1/4 - www.stopfoodwaste.ie.

Here are some tasty recipes to tempt you on your way:

Recipe Booklet - Family Favourites (1,217kB)

Reduce

The average household produces 1.5 tonnes of waste a year. We can reduce this amount by prevention, minimisation, reuse and recycling

The following are ways to reduce waste:

• Avoid buying heavily package goods.
• Buy loose fruit and vegetables
• Buy concentrated products that use less packaging.
• Bring your own shopping bags- every trip
• Use re-fillable  or rechargeable products e.g. pens, batteries, printer cartridges
• Use and re-fill your own drinks bottle
• Use a lunch-box instead of foil or plastic wrapping
• Have a garden composter for organic waste such as vegetable peelings, food leftovers, garden waste – this can divert up to 1/3 of your waste away from landfill
• Share newspapers, books and magazines with friends
• Repair broken goods instead of throwing them away

Food Waste Reduction

One third of the food we buy is thrown away.  Savings of up to €1000 each year could be made by reducing the food we throw away. For tips on reducing food waste see - www.stopfoodwaste.ie

Catherine Fulvio Recipe booklet: Catherine Fulvio recipe booklet

HSE Recipe booklet: Recipe Booklet - HSE

Great Freezer Management

Click here Your Freezer - Friend or Foe (228kB)