Customer numbers and tonnage up at recycling centres
More people are realising that it is easier to take their rubbish to a recycling plant than dump it on the highways and byways, according to figures released last week. Customer numbers are up 25pc at the Mullingar civic amenity centre and 27pc in Athlone, and there are also increases in the tonnage taken in.
Initiatives such as this week’s mattress amnesty, Christmas tree collections, the bikes for Africa scheme, along with better signage and a Google maps link on the county council website are all moves designed to entice more people to use the facilities. Next Saturday, November 27, is mattress amnesty day in Mullingar, and December 4 in Athlone.
The figures showed that 23,672 customers used the Mullingar facility in 2019 and 29,744 in 2021, and tonnage went up for the same period from 1,684 to 2,111, a 25pc increase. In Athlone, numbers went up from 29,665 to 33,555 and tonnage from 1,267 to 1,618, 27pc. Judging by figures up to the end of last September, this trend is set to continue.
The sites are operated by Mulleady’s and Barna Waste, and Athlone was one of 29 sites surveyed nationally this year. The findings of that survey will influence the future of civic amenity sites and management.
Speaking at a meeting of the Environment Strategic Policy Committee on Friday, the chairman, Cllr Frank McDermott, said it was great to see that “people are slowly learning that it is much easier to drive into Mullingar than up to Paddy Hill’s bog or my bog in Drumcree or wherever, and I’m delighted to see that”.
Cllr Johnnie Penrose was also delighted “to see waste being disposed in right places and not on the side of the road”. He welcomed the mattress collection, saying “it is a great initiative and the more publicity that gets the better coming up to Christmas because it gives people the chance to dispose of their mattresses responsibly and not be dumping them on the side of the road”.
Deirdre O’Reilly, director of services with the county council, thanked the members for their words of encouragement and paid tribute to John Jackson and the environment section for the difference they were making. “We are grateful for the anti-dumping initiatives and the funding we get for the amenity sites and the survey that was done on those. It is all about creating awareness of anti-litter and dumping.
“All that work we were doing in relation to social media and ad campaigns, the improvement of the signage at the sites, is all work hand in hand and shows the difference Westmeath County Council is making to the environment,” she said.