Latest news with #MyWaste
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Is it right to buy deodorants in single-use containers forever?
Could you go without buying deodorant for six months? That's exactly what some people are doing. After decades of buying the stuff, it's starting to fall down their shopping list. Deodorant used to be a near-monthly purchase for many. You would probably go through one of those hard plastic ones with a roller ball top every four weeks. There are just 50ml in most of them – two tablespoons – costing about €2.50 in the supermarket. And that's the bargain stuff. Because there is so little in each bottle, deodorant runs out quickly, and often unexpectedly – if it's in a hard plastic container, you can't really see how much is left. If you're between supermarket trips, you'll probably eke out a few more rolls of the nearly dry roller ball, or a few more half sprays from the aerosol to get you through. Then you'll buy another one. READ MORE But visualising the endless line of hard plastic containers and cans, stretching back to your teens and well into the future, is starting to niggle for some. Is it right to just keep buying these single-use containers forever? Can you even recycle them? [ Smelling sweet with natural deodorants made in Cork Opens in new window ] For the glass bottle ones, take them apart, says . The glass part can go to the bottle bank and other parts to the recycle bin. You should take the plastic roll-on ones apart, advises, and all parts can be put in the recycle bin. Does anyone take their plastic roll-on deodorant bottles apart? Extricating the slippy ball from the hard casing sounds tricky. You could also drop off your used personal care and beauty product packaging at public drop-off locations across Ireland, says [ Turning to nature for skincare products for the mature woman Opens in new window ] Choosing a differently packaged deodorant is another solution. This is where refillable, plastic-free deodorants with natural ingredients are gaining fans. Unlike single-use roll-on deodorants and sprays, you can use the casing of some of these stick-type deodorants over and over by inserting compostable refills that simply twist into place. The refills last about six weeks with daily use. The outer casing of one popular brand, made from an aluminium alloy, can be refilled again and again. The refills themselves are made from bamboo pulp, which is compostable. You can recycle it just like paper or cardboard. Some people even grow seeds in their empty refills, according to the manufacturer – but if you haven't made time to dismantle your old plastic roll-ons, you won't be planting seeds in these new ones, I'd wager. [ New Irish skincare range containing 'no synthetics whatsoever' targets athletes and other active people Opens in new window ] This refillable deodorant starter pack, comprising the reusable 'stick' and a refill, costs from about €13. After that, you'll pay about €5.50 for the refills. The outer packaging of another Irish brand can be put in your compost bin. One of these push-up tubes will keep you smelling sweet for 12 weeks, manufacturers say. A 46g tube costs €12.99. The ingredients in your deodorant are another story. Many traditional antiperspirant deodorants use aluminium to block the secretion of sweat. Some people believe this to be harmful. The use of aluminium compounds is safe at concentrations of 6.25 per cent in nonspray deodorants and nonspray antiperspirants, according to a research by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published in March 2020. It's safe at concentrations of 10.6 per cent in the spray varieties. Exposure to aluminium from daily use of these products does not add significantly to the body burden of aluminium from other sources, says the committee. But if rolling or spraying aluminium at any concentration on to your armpits still gives you the heebie-jeebies, that's yet another reason to choose one of these more natural deodorants which use ingredients like tapioca starch to absorb moisture and keep you dry.
Agriland
27-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
Food waste: Contamination remains a concern with brown bins
As Ireland marks its fourth National Food Waste Recycling Week, new research highlights both the progress made in brown bin usage and the ongoing challenge of contamination. Over 200,000 new brown bins were rolled out nationwide since the start of 2024, bringing the total number of brown bin owners across Ireland to around 1.2 million. However, a recent study of over 1,000 adults reveals that despite widespread brown bin usage, contamination remains a concern, potentially compromising the quality of compost and hindering efforts towards a circular economy. Food waste The research, conducted by Empathy Research on behalf of MyWaste, found that while the vast majority of people use their brown bin (84%), confusion and occasional haste can at times lead to incorrect items being disposed of in the brown bin. 33% of survey participants admitted to knowingly putting incorrect items in their brown bin, a figure that rises to 50% among younger adults (18 to 34 year-olds). The research also highlights confusion about garden waste, with younger adults mistakenly believing stones and barbeque coals can be composted. Other common items incorrectly placed in brown bins include general waste (32%), the plastic around vegetables (26%), soft plastics (24%), and food cartons (24%). The primary reason cited for knowingly putting an item in their brown bin incorrectly was being in a hurry (38%), with lack of knowledge about what is accepted in the brown bin being the second most common reason (26%). Brown bin The brown bin service accepts all types of food including raw and cooked meat and fish, plate scrapings, along with fruit and vegetable peelings. Other items that can go into the brown bin include food-soiled paper napkins, paper towels, greasy pizza boxes as well as grass clippings and light garden waste, including hedge clippings, spent compost, and dead plants. To avoid contamination, remove all packaging from food waste and avoid adding large branches, stones, rubble, plastic plant pots, barbeque coals, or other non-compostable materials from your brown bin. Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon said he was pleased to see continued growth in brown bin usage across the country. 'By working together to reduce food waste in the first instance and minimise contamination thereafter, we can ensure that our food and garden waste is transformed into valuable compost, enriching our soil, supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing our carbon footprint,' he said. Pauline McDonogh, resource efficiency officer at MyWaste, noted that 'contamination remains a challenge', despite increasing brown bin use. This National Food Waste Recycling Week (June 1–8), is launching a new campaign to tackle this problem. 'Putting the wrong items in the brown bin can compromise the recycling process, reduce the level of compost produced. 'Let's all remember: 'No metal, no glass, no plastic makes our brown bin fantastic'. By keeping contaminants out of our brown bins, we can protect our soil and contribute to a circular economy,' McDonogh said.
