I think I am tired of being "Green".

Following this thread as interested to see other people views. I think I won't mind using the machines in the shops - I reckon they're aimed at
the people who don't currently recycle (not at the people who already do this) as incorporating a cost on bottles usually incentivises people to start doing it - like the plastic shopping bags.

While I would be very environmentally aware and really do my best to reduce, reuse and recycle, I think the government could be doing more in a lot of areas - like packaging. I must say the packaging in supermarkets does my head in - there really seems to be no progress in this area by the Government. I want to weep when I see 3 parsnips wrapped in a hard plastic container and covered in cling film. Why does everything have to be packaged ? And don't get me started on bananas wrapped in plastic! In the supermarkets in France you can buy everything loose and put them in brown bags - it really reduces packaging waste. I think it has to be a government initiative as there's no sign of the supermarkets taking the initiative on this one. Of course, it makes us buy more stuff too as everything comes in 500 g or 1kg.

We all use reusable water bottles in this house and much prefer it to using a plastic bottle from a shop.

On the other hand, one good move by the government (probably the Greens are responsible for this) has been the reducing of train and bus fares. My kids (young adults) are much more likely now to jump on the train to go to Dublin as they can get from Kilkenny City to Heuston and back for €11.60 which is great value and I feel this initiative is achieving its goal of changing the mind of young people living in rural Ireland of driving everywhere. Even for adults , the fare is a little more than €21. My 24 year son was happy to see the age for the Young Adult fare has been moved up a year in the budget so he gets another year of these fares.
 
Kilkenny Lass said:
And don't get me started on bananas wrapped in plastic.
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Not this old chestnut again...

Bananas go off quickly if exposed to air and if stored near other fruit will contaminate it and cause it to go off too.

The plastic wrapping is to avoid unnecessary food waste.
 
Kilkenny Lass said:
I think the government could be doing more in a lot of areas - like packaging. I must say the packaging in supermarkets does my head in - there really seems to be no progress in this area by the Government. I want to weep when I see 3 parsnips wrapped in a hard plastic container and covered in cling film. Why does everything have to be packaged ?
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There is always a tradeoff between food packaging and food waste.

Packaging ensures that food stays fresher for longer and also reduces contamination in handling and storage. If you increase packaging you cut food waste, and if you cut packaging, you increase food waste.
 
Just to put people right this arrangement is to comply with EU laws. It is not an Eamon Ryan or Greens solo run. I was at a blockchain event in Dogpatch before Christmas and met the Irish MD of one of the biggest machine manufacturers. They’ve learnt a lot from rolling this initiative out across the EU. A lot depends on the quality of buy in from the public and supermarkets. Hopefully this initiative will incentivise the removal of a lot of products including those small bottles of water.
 
clinteastwood said:
why not embrace change for your environment.
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A couple of years ago I heard a comment that for me nearly sums up everything that is wrong with our world
A person went into Tesco in the UK and bought a packet of diced pears and the comment was
"Grown in Argentina, packaged in Thailand and sold in Tesco for something I can pick off a tree in my back garden"

The problem I see is that we are living unsustainably and most of the solutions to this problem are unsustainable in themselves
The only answer I see is that we as a whole have to consume less but in a capitalist society this is just not possible

Does that mean we should give up, NO defiantly not but we should change the focus from unsustainable consumption to sustainable!!
 
DeeKie said:
And these are the reasons that the planet is damaged. People cannot be trusted to do the right thing. Cants be bothered. Shame on you all for not caring and blaming others.
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Dead Right! People can't be bothered doing the "right" thing - That's what Ireland is and probably always was.

I go to our local Farmers Market every week - the bins provided by the local authority are jammed with used plastic/paper cups always there . People can't be bothered bringing their used cups home for disposal - their diesel powered vehicles might become contaminated. Us locals don't want extra bins, they're unsightly and say more about the Irish than Pádraig Pearse.

Then there's my neighbour who goes on "retreat" to the bottle bank with one empty bottle and of course burning diesel in her jeep on her trip. Green, How Are Ya?

I mentioned the news item earlier where in Waterford some housing estates had more rubbish in their recycle bins than recyclables. It's the same in parts of Cork where (people don't even pay their refuse charges) amass their bins at the entrance to their estates for collection by anybody who's prepared to collect them (usually the City Council workers).

Russia and China who are polluting the entire planet don't give a whit anyway. The only way they'll be brought on-side is leaving them stew in their own pollution until they get their act together. It's like tidying up after teenagers, you do it and they'll let you do it. they'll start to see reality when you refuse to clean up their mess.

And our so-called Green People want us to eat less meat, recycle more, walk or cycle instead of motoring, etc. I know what I'm doing in the next elections when I separate the Green contestants (and not forgetting those who claim to be "Green of Centre") and give my first, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th 6th, 7th, 8th preferences to every other name on the ballot paper. While I'm at it, I'll ignore the candidates who say "Vote for me because I am a woman" also.
 
DeeKie said:
I ... met the Irish MD of one of the biggest machine manufacturers. They’ve learnt a lot from rolling this initiative out across the EU....Hopefully this initiative will incentivise the removal of a lot of products including those small bottles of water.
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If that happens, this guy and his company will lose their shirts.

Somehow I can't see that happening.
 
Bluefin said:
Could someone please explain what’s going to happen to all the great recycling centres that we have already in place that takes all cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles, cardboard etc for a charge of €2?

I crush all my cans and bring all my recyclables once every two months…

What’s going to happen to all the smaller bring centres near supermarkets, garages etc…will these become unviable?
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They will still exist, don't worry. As we can read some of us will stick to their old habits and the bring centres will still be required.

PS, don't crush your can, otherwise the machine won't be able to identify a can, plastic bottles or glass from each other.
 
Cervelo said:
A couple of years ago I heard a comment that for me nearly sums up everything that is wrong with our world
A person went into Tesco in the UK and bought a packet of diced pears and the comment was
"Grown in Argentina, packaged in Thailand and sold in Tesco for something I can pick off a tree in my back garden"

The problem I see is that we are living unsustainably and most of the solutions to this problem are unsustainable in themselves
The only answer I see is that we as a whole have to consume less but in a capitalist society this is just not possible

Does that mean we should give up, NO defiantly not but we should change the focus from unsustainable consumption to sustainable!!
Click to expand...
There's nothing more unsustainable than depending on homegrown fruit for vitamin C and other nutrients.

When I was a child, we rarely if ever had pears and we'd only had apples for a few months every year. Health outcomes and life expectancy have improved drastically since fresh fruit became available and affordable all year round.
 
Kilkenny Lass said:
I think the government could be doing more in a lot of areas - like packaging. I must say the packaging in supermarkets does my head in - there really seems to be no progress in this area by the Government.
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Yes I agree. I think the Government should legislate for simpler packaging in supermarkets. With the onus for implementation being on the supermarkets and packaging companies.
Some items in supermarkets have 2 or 3 or more different types of packaging on the one item. Mostly just for marketing.
 
Penalising folks for using their recycling bins from February 1st takes beating in fairness. The only saving grace is these green fanatics will be booted in to political oblivion at the next election. Can't come quickly enough.
 
T McGibney said:
Not this old chestnut again...

Bananas go off quickly if exposed to air and if stored near other fruit will contaminate it and cause it to go off too.

The plastic wrapping is to avoid unnecessary food waste.
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Could paper be used. In 1940s Ireland, paper was used at Green grocers for fruit, including bananas.
Could it possibly be the French V Republic has figured out a way, that jolly old Eire can copy?.
Been last to implement an idea does have an advantage on occasion.
Note we are being mandated by EU law to to implement a system, 2024 was the latest date we could hold on , to our backward habits.
 
clinteastwood said:
Could paper be used.
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Of course it could, but it's apparently less effective in stopping bananas being contaminated by exposure to air.

clinteastwood said:
In 1940s Ireland, paper was used at Green grocers for fruit, including bananas.
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No it wasn't. For starters, food imports were pretty much non-existent in 1940s Ireland, and those few staples that were imported, notably tea, were heavily rationed.

A relative of my own, born in the 1920s and now deceased, used recall the family eating oranges for the first time. They ate them with knives and forks.
 
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AlbacoreA said:
What was wrong with glass bottles that could be reused. Our oceans are clogged with plastic and micro plastic is in the food chain. Plastic lined disposable paper cups is another horror.
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Were glass bottles for soft drinks reused on the past? I know milk bottles were.
 
T McGibney said:
Of course it could, but it's apparently less effective in stopping bananas being contaminated by exposure to air.


No it wasn't. For starters, food imports were pretty much non-existent in 1940s Ireland, and those few staples that were imported, notably tea, were heavily rationed.

A relative of my own, born in the 1920s and now deceased, used recall the family eating oranges for the first time. They are it with knives and forks.
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I'm afraid bananas were sold, post emergency. I have this confirmed 10mins ago. This was long before the mass intro of plastic packaging, Bakelite and Nylon were new inventions.
Anyway regardless, paper can be used, or let's just ask the French and Danes how they do it, rather than stuffing our ground with plastic
 
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