Galway City people top recyclers in Ireland – again

 Figures released by Rehab Glassco – Ireland’s largest glass recycling company – to mark Repak Recycling Week, show that in the first eight months of 2012, an average of 54 glass jars and bottles were recycled by every man, woman and child in the city.

The figure for the county area was 45 glass bottles and jars recycled – also well above the national average of 41 bottles and jars per person. “We are now good at glass recycling, we need to aim to be great!” said David Farrelly, Operations Manager with Rehab Glassco.

The statistics show that recycling is now common practice for households across the country as Ireland now ranks tenth in the EU with a glass recycling rate of 81%, well above the EU average of 70%.

In the period from January 1 to August 31 this year, 2,226 tonnes of glass were collected in Galway County for recycling with 1,229 tonnes being collected in Galway City.

The busiest site in the county was the Oranmore Car Park with 139 tonnes deposited in the bottle banks provided, while the bring banks on the Western Distributor Road were the busiest site in Galway City with 268 tonnes collected. 

 David Farrelly said: “These figures show that recycling is now part of the routine for households. This is evident throughout the network of bring banks that we provide across the country. We have met and exceeded the EU targets and this was made possible by everyone from households to businesses to recycling operators like ourselves at Rehab Glassco working together to achieve this high standard.”

 Glass is 100 per cent recyclable and can be endlessly recycled with no loss in quality – in other words, it can be recycled forever. Up to 90 per cent of new glass can be made from recycled glass and most bottles and jars contain at least 25 per cent recycled glass

On average an Irish family consumes the contents of around 500 glass bottles and jars each year.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel