Consumers urged to 'break up with plastic'

Litter washed up on a beach in County Cork, Ireland.  The most common items found on the Irish Coast were plastic food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic beverage bottles.

A major shift is needed to end Ireland's unenviable record as the biggest plastic waste producer in the EU, as well as incorrect flushing which is causing thousands of water blockages every month across the country.

That is according to the Clean Coasts campaign and utility firm Irish Water, which jointly called for Irish people to make a concerted effort starting this month to reduce its reliance on plastics, and the discarding of inappropriate items down the toilet.

Some 54kgs per person every year is generated in Ireland, but the fourth lowest in the EU when it comes to recycling, Clean Coasts said.

Clean Coasts, which has 1,400 registered community groups around the country tackling waste around the sea, said an excessive use of plastic is not only polluting Irish oceans and seas, but it is also threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health. 

It pointed to the Ocean Conservancy coastal cleanup report for 2020, which found that the most common items found on the Irish Coast were plastic food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic beverage bottles.

A new campaign this month to coincide with St Valentine's Day is calling for people to "break up with plastic" and share their experience on social media.

Sinead McCoy of Clean Coasts said: "We realise it can be difficult to make the break from single use, especially with all that is going on, so for anybody starting the journey towards new, reusable, long-lasting loves, we have tips and hints on our website to get you started.”

Clean Coasts also called for action to be taken on items that are flushed down the drain, such as baby wipes, which have caused thousands of blockages in water systems across the country in recent years.

Fatbergs

In November, Irish Water said a build-up of fats, oils, grease and other discarded items forming into nasty 'fatbergs' is becoming an increasing problem for city council workers in Cork to tackle.

Irish Water and Cork City Council's fatberg dismantling in November happened on the Grand Parade intersection with the South Mall, when they had to clear a blockage at the Grand Parade wastewater pumping station, causing unsightly discharge into the River Lee that alarmed passers-by.

The utility firm has re-emphasised its Think Before You Flush campaign, which aims to eliminate the discarding of the likes of wipes, cotton buds, dental floss and sanitary products, down the toilet.

Tom Cuddy of Irish Water said: "Everyday people flush thousands of items such as wet wipes down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants.

"It is no surprise therefore that we are clearing approximately 2,000 blockages from our wastewater network every month, a significant proportion of which are caused by wipes.”