State backing can ensure big green bounce
Prioritising responsible recycling of bulky goods could have a huge impact on Ireland’s ability to reach recycling targets – but those offering sustainable recycling of items like mattresses need more Government support.
That’s according to Keith McDonagh, general manager of Galway social enterprise, Bounce Back Recycling, responding to the latest assessment that Ireland is now almost certain to miss mandatory EU recycling targets to reduce waste levels.
“An estimated 600,000 mattresses – that’s about fifteen thousand tonnes in weight - are dumped in Ireland every year, at a staggering cost of around €108m to the Irish economy,” said Keith.
“About 80% of this waste could be recycled and re-used in the circular economy, if the government gave adequate support to social enterprises like ourselves,” he added.
Bounce Back Recycling was established in 2017 in Galway to create a viable solution for problematic bulky goods.
Working across 13 counties, the Traveller-led recycling company has diverted over 120,000 bulky waste items from landfill since its establishment in 2017. BBR uses a social enterprise employment model, meaning all profits go back into growing the business.
“As a business, we use a social enterprise employment model. We provide employment opportunities and job training for travellers, who face high barriers to employment,” said Keith.
“Our target is to make our social enterprise financially self-sufficient through our services. Income is used to pay standard operating expenses associated with the business and pay wages to our employees,” he added.
Now BBR is launching a campaign in the New Year to encourage more furniture retailers to offer mattress recycling to their customers.
“We already work with over 100 commercial clients. In just three Harvey Norman stores alone, we have helped them recycle over 150 tonnes of old mattresses and bed bases to date,” he revealed.
But the problem is huge, he admitted.
“In County Dublin, around 170,000 mattresses still go to landfill or incineration every year. That’s enough to fill Croke Park eight times over and landfill space is quickly running out,” he said
BBR offer a highly sustainable recycling service because they recycle by hand, and recover a higher rate of materials, which has two major benefits. It further reduces the amount of waste going to landfill, and it also boosts the circular economy by recovering materials like metals and felt which can be re-used.
BBR already partners with many local authorities during anti-dumping initiatives – but they believe that there should be a year-round partnership to ensure recycling happens every day of the week, all of which would help reduce municipal waste recycling rates.
BBR will be announcing details of their New Year furniture retail sector campaign in January. To sign up as a furniture retailer or find out more as a householder, you can contact them at [email protected].
Pictured: Call...Keith McDonagh, manager of Bounce Back Recycling.