Recycling this Christmas

Cavan County Council provides a network of recycling facilities in towns and villages throughout the county. The local authority operates 30 Recycling Bring Centres, which facilitate the recycling of plastic bottles, glass jars and bottles, aluminium and tin cans and textiles and three Civic Amenity Centres, which facilitate the recycling of bulky household waste and residual waste in addition to the above materials.

Why recycle?

Recycling turns our household waste materials into new useful products. This reduces the use of finite raw materials, saves energy and helps control air, water and land pollution. Recycling is a group effort and we all must play our part and not only recycle as much waste as possible, but also make sure our recycling is properly sorted. Recyclables, including non-recyclable items or those contaminated with food waste, can end up in landfill.

It only takes a few minutes to rinse out containers and sort them appropriately before recycling them at your local Recycling Bring Centre. Recycling Bring Centres are for use by householders only. Use of Recycling Bring Centres by pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants is strictly prohibited.

What can I recycle?

Mixed Glass

Glass bottles and jars generally fall into three categories – clear glass, green glass and brown glass, each of which is recyclable.

Our glass receptacles accept mixed coloured glass, so there is no need to separate into different colours.

Lids and bottle tops (including corks from wine bottles) should beremoved before recycling. Place lids and bottle tops in your household recycling bin.

There is no need to remove labels as these will be removed during the recycling process.

All items should be empty, clean and dry before recycling.

Beverage Cans/Food Tins

Beverage cans/food tins are made from three different materials – aluminum, tin coated steel and electrolytic chromium coated steel.

Beverage cans should be crushed before recycling.

All items should be empty, clean and dry before recycling.

Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles are made of polymers, which are chemically bonded to create a rigid plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

Bottles can be squashed and the lid put back on.

There is no need to remove labels as these will be removed during the recycling process.

All items should be empty, clean and dry before recycling.

Clothes & Textiles

Unwanted clothes, shoes and textiles can be reused or recycled. However, some textiles such as duvet covers, pillows, or heavily soiled clothes should not go in the clothes receptacle. These items should be brought to your local Civic Amenity Centre.

Misuse of Recycling Bring Centres

Sometimes Recycling Bring Centres are misused and are subject to littering and dumping. If you find that receptacles at your local Recycling Bring Centre are full, please do not leave items on the ground or around the receptacles.

This will be classified as litter and you may be subject to an "on the spot" litter fine of €150, with a maximum fine of €4,000 if convicted in court. It may also mean that these items become contaminated and will not get recycled. Please bring these items home and return at a later date or visit one of the other local Recycling Bring Centres.

Please do not place mixed waste items into receptacles. If this happens, the recyclables we go to the trouble of separating cannot be recycled as the receptacles have been contaminated with the wrong material.

CCTV Surveillance

In order to prevent and deter criminal offences under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended and the Waste Management Act 1996 as amended, the Council has deployed permanent CCTV surveillance at some of its Recycling Bring Centres.

As part of the Council’s Anti-Dumping Initiatives funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, it is planned that all Recycling Bring Centres will have permanent CCTV surveillance in place.

GDPR

CCTV surveillance will capture personal data, i.e. images of persons, vehicle registration numbers, etc. Cavan County Council are the Data Controller and the collection and processing of video footage and any data generated from this activity will be strictly controlled under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.

For more information on your data rights, please contact us by email at dpo@cavancoco.ie or by phone on 049-4378300.

On-the-Spot Litter Fines

Cavan County Council has the power to proceed with enforcement actions for offences under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended. Leaving or throwing litter in a public place such as a Recycling Bring Centre is an offence which is subject to an “on the spot fine” of €150 and a maximum fine of €4,000 through the courts. Any person convicted of a litter offence may be required by the Court to pay the Council’s costs and expenses in investigating the offence, site clean-up and in bringing the prosecution to court.

For advice on what can be recycled at our Bring Centres and Civic Amenity Sites please visit www.cavancoco.ie or www.mywaste.ie