An app to reduce waste: Cork residents generate enough plastics to fill 730 Olympic pools

CUSP founder Simon Ruddy as well as screengrab of how the CUSP app works.

AN Irish startup has claimed it can help households reduce annual single plastic usage by up to 30kgs a year by using an app similar to popular calorie counting or fitness methods.

Roscommon start-up CUSP (Cease Using Single-Use Plastic) said it recently completed a pilot launch for an app, aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste by 1kg per household every month — equivalent to 18 two-litre fizzy drink bottles.

The app is similar in usage to those such as popular health and fitness apps such as MyFitnessPal and Calorie Counter, which monitors food intake and movement.

Users input a target, attempt to swap out single-use plastic every day for more sustainable methods, and calculate at the end of the month to see if they have reduced by 1kg.

CUSP said the 200-household pilot in Galway and Roscommon far exceeded its 1kg targets, with enthusiastic households embracing the concept and reducing their waste by 2.5kgs.

It has ambitious plans for Cork city and county if people begin to embrace the method, CUSP founder Simon Ruddy said.

#Cork - Share if you Care! @CorkEnvForum @Corks96FM @CorkCityPPN @CorkGreens @corkcitycouncil @CorkAirport @FloorTechInt @corkbusiness @Corkcoco @CorkChamber @corkindo @CorkLGFA @CorkNatNetwork @Corktod @fermoygaa @CarrigalineTT @BallincolligTT @CobhTidy @MidletonTidy @MallowNews pic.twitter.com/AZkS7krJqB

— Cracking-Carbon (@carbon_cracking) June 9, 2020

“Participants don't need to worry about calculations or conversions to kilograms - the app takes care of all that. Users simply tap-in their estimated number of units on Day 1 for 22 of the more common items of single-use plastic packaging found in Irish homes listed in the app.

“After 30 days and following CUSP's hints and tips for reducing, users simply tap-in their new reduced volumes to see if they've hit that 1kg reduction. It takes less than 10 minutes.” 

The 1kg target was chosen because Irish households need to reduce from the current average of 171kgs annually to 50kgs annually by 2030 to meet UN, EU and national reduction targets, Mr Ruddy said.

“Repeat that same 1kg reduction for 12 months and then use the CUSP app to identify a further 1kg monthly reduction in year two, and so on, each year through 2030 — 10 years by 12kg reductions per annum equals 120kgs, which is precisely the reductions required to take us to 50kgs per household by 2030,” he said.

“We're not looking for anyone to do anything radical here, just small, bite-sized reduction targets.” 

If the reductions in the pilot scheme were replicated nationally, Ireland could hit 2030 reduction targets as soon as 2026 and “finally knock ourselves off that embarrassing EU top spot as the worst offender”, Mr Ruddy said.

CUSP has carried out a report into volumes of single-use plastic packaging waste generated across Cork city and county, he said.

The report has identified hotspots in terms of volumes, which if given priority would see significant reductions in the amounts generated in Cork each year, he added.

“Cork households generate a combined 32,900 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging waste annually. That’s enough single-use plastic waste to fill 730 Olympic size swimming pools.” 

According to CUSP’s findings, Douglas has 1,630 tonnes annually, with Glanmire coming in second at 1,210 tonnes. Carrigaline has the highest volume amongst Cork towns at 956 tonnes annually, with Cobh not far behind at 776, according to Mr Ruddy.

To achieve 70% reductions by 2030, Cork needs to reduce single-use plastic waste from its current 32,900 tonnes annually to 9,900 tonnes annually by 2030, requiring an average annual reduction of 2,300 tonnes, CUSP calculated.

The CUSP app is available to download free for both iOS and android devices under 'CUSP: Single-Use Plastic Calc'.