Pollution fears over Irish silage plastic

SILAGE plastic sent from Ireland for recycling in Scotland contained slurry, soil, trees, stones, and tyres — and in one case, even the engine of a Ford Fiesta, according to the Friends of the Irish Environment network of independent environmentalists.

But their biggest worry was that Irish contaminated plastic may add to the pollution problems of countries where it is recycled, and cause illness due to the presence of dangerous organisms such as cryptosporidium — the bug which closed down Galway water supplies this year.

‘The Department of the Environment has informed us that they believe the bulk of the silage wraps currently being exported are going to China, where waste treatment is primate and generally done by hand. This could expose the operators to unacceptable risks and contaminate the water used’, said an FIE spokesman.