Donal Hickey: More than 200 million plastic cups are dumped in Ireland each year

Reusable bottles, mini-dishwashers, and water refill stations are all part of the campaign to reduce disposable plastic use

Thu, 18 May, 2023 - 06:05

Donal Hickey

University College Cork continues to build on its national and international reputation as a leading green university, saying its latest, plastic-free project is making a tangible difference.

An initiative to eliminate all single-use plastic in campus dining areas, shops, and vending machines began, on January 2 last, as part of an ongoing plan to improve overall sustainability.

UCC now confirms it is being embraced by students and staff. The college caterer, KSG, issued 267,500 fewer cups and 12,250 fewer plastic bottles from January to April, this year, compared to the same period, last year.

Professor John O’Halloran, UCC president, said reducing the use of disposable plastic is a significant step forward in their sustainability efforts. “We cannot continue to overconsume plastic in the name of convenience," he emphasised.

The plastic-free initiative includes 34 water refill stations across campus, a deposit and return scheme, fresh cup mini-dishwashers on campus, and the sale of keep-cups and water bottles.

In 2010, UCC was the first third-level institute worldwide to receive the Green Campus award. The student-led Green Campus Committee meets regularly to discuss ideas and campaigns to ensure sustainability is central to all university strategies and decision-making processes.

In 2017, UCC banned disposable coffee cups from its library as part of a Green Library campaign. In 2018, UCC launched Ireland’s first single-use plastic-free café. In the same year, more than 8,000 students signed a petition calling for the removal of single-use plastics from campus shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Meanwhile, in an era when every second person on the streets of our cities and towns seems to be walking around with either a disposable coffee cup, or a plastic water bottle, in their hand, is it any wonder that waste statistics are truly staggering!

We’re told that more than 200 million plastic cups are dumped nationwide each year, with more than a third of all plastic used only once and then discarded. Around 22 million plastic bottles are purchased in Ireland each week. Some bottled water producers now use plant-based alternatives to traditional plastic bottles.

Bodies such as the European Environment Association and our own EPA send out a clear message: global production and use of plastic is unsustainable at present levels. They call for smarter use of plastic, more recycling and the use of alternative materials.

With the economic boom, more waste is being produced and almost everything we buy seems to be wrapped in plastic.

The EPA says our plastic packaging recycling rates remain worryingly low at 29% (though up marginally from 28%, in 2019), but the EU target is to hit 50%, in 2025. That presents a serious challenge in a short time span.