Waterford company Focus Visual Communication are the first company in Ireland (and probably Europe) to produce and supply 100% recyclable banner panels. With a
closed loop recycling agreement with Durakerb Ireland, used banner panels will eventually be transformed into new kerbstones for Irish roads.

Developing genuinely recyclable banner products hasn’t been easy though as Carmel explained,” This time last year we noticed a marked trend among our trade show clientele enquiring as to how green our display products were. Naturally in the display industry this was the very question we most hated to answer, as at the time none of our products could be recycled and were only suitable for the dreaded landfill. Thus began a period of intensive research into products from all over the world in our quest to come up with a recyclable product that would look just as good while fulfilling our green agenda.

Eventually we came across a product from North America with the right credentials and on which we can produce an outstanding photo quality print. As there seems to be such discrepancy between the various City & County Council recycling programmes, we developed a closed loop recycling arrangement with Durakerb Ireland. That way we can guarantee clients that when they are finished with their panels we can arrange for them to be recycled here in Ireland for use on Irish roads!”

Focus are serious about helping their customers become more environmentally friendly and also offer to re-panel any existing pull-up stands with 100% recyclable panels. Just call Carmel on 086 2329634 to discuss your Green Display requirements.

As always we are delighted in GreenMe.ie to pass on information on companies we feel will be of especial benefit to our readership. Check out their products on www.focusonline.ie and keep an eye out for our very own 100% recyclable banners at the forthcoming Sustainable Building Show September 17th – 19th.

This lovely plarn bag featured recently on the Guardian

Plarn,  or plastic yarn.

One day you’ve never heard of it, next day it’s everywhere.

Lately, I’ve become interested in crafty ways of transforming rubbish, and especially plastic rubbish, into useful things and even attractive presents.

One of the simplest tricks I’ve discovered is making plarn from  lengths of plastic carrier bags.

It is amazingly quick and easy to do, and would be perfect for kids and school projects.   I’ve posted a little ‘how to’ note here with a link to an excellent 2-minute YouTube video tutorial.

Once you’ve made your plarn (a matter of minutes only), you can knit, crochet or braid it into any number of things.

Judging by the internet, rugs and bags seem to be most popular but I’ve even seen it braided into a pair of waterproof sandals!

The gorgeous knitted clutch bag pictured above is from a recent article in the environment section of the Guardian.

I particularly like the the fact that plarn gives a new lease of life to plastic bags that might otherwise end up in landfill, where they will spend centuries slowly decaying.  ‘Plarning’ — have I just coined a new word?  — may mean we can dramatically reduce the amount of plastic rubbish that we dump.  Something that would greatly help our ‘rubbish diet‘.

I know some people think this kind of ‘recycling’ is nothing more than “slow motion landfill”. But I have to disagree: if we can transform the plastic into something useful, such as a bag or rug, it means that item is not being made anew, so we are helping to reduce the consumption of scarce resources.

Of course, it goes without saying, that we should all be trying to reduce the number of plastic bags we end up with!

(c) MaryMulvihill.net 2009

Making plarn, or plastic yarn, couldn’t be simpler. it’s perfect for kids, and would be great for school projects to use up plastic bags.

(I’ve written more about it here, and what you can make from it.)

The only tool you need is a scissors, plus of course a pile of plastic bags. And it takes just a few minutes.

All you need is a scissors. Simply fold the bags and cut into strips. And that’s it!

Here is a 2-minute simple YouTube tutorial that shows you how

Once you’ve made a sufficient length of plarn, you can knit, crochet or braid it to make everything from rugs and bags and even waterproof sandals.

The only limit is your imagination.  But you’ll also find lots of ideas out there on the web.

(c) MaryMulvihill.net 2009

The downturn has an up side:  we are trashing our planet less – some counties in Ireland have reported up to a 30%  rubbish reduction .  How?  Sadly its not  a spike in rubbish being diverted to the recycling stations, but it is the result of people buying less and thus less packaging and unwanted purchases to toss.  Construction waste has massively plummeted due to the downturn in the housing market.   
At some point the economy will turn around, but when it does, perhaps we can look back on these belt-tightening times and realise just how little we really need to not only survive but to feel good – a walk  on the beach leaves no plastic  to throw out, requires no carboard  to cut through and provides a far better cardio workout than the latest fitness gadget:)

To find out more on recycling clck on one of the following links:

Less waste please

Redce your paper waste

Pre not Re-cycle

In an effort to prevent illegal dumping and scrapping of vehicles the European Parliament brought about the End-of-Life Vehicles (E.L.V.) Directive. Every E.U. Member State is obliged to have in place a network of licenced Authorised Treatment Facilities (A.T.F.s) where people can bring their unwanted vehicles (cars, vans & commercials up to 3,500kg) to be depolluted, dismantled and recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.

The service is free of charge* and a Certificate of Destruction must be issued by the A.T.F. to the vehicle owner. The A.T.F. must first depollute the vehicle and then prove it is meeting recycling targets of 85% by weight of the vehicle (This target increases to 95% by January 1st 2015^).

For more information log onto www.elvs.ie

^{*Provided the vehicle is not missing ′essential components′ e.g. engine, gearbox, catalytic converter}

The last of the turkey has been devoured and the kids are preoccupied with all of their new gadgets. Now it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do with that Christmas tree sitting in the corner of your living room. If you use a fake tree, you’ll probably fold it up and toss it back into a box until it’s time to set up next year. However, if you acknowledged the environmental benefits of owning a real tree and purchased one, it′s time to Treecycle.

On average our waste increases by 10% over the festive period, so don’t just toss your tree on the curb with the rubbish. Many cities and counties have recycling services to put your old Christmas tree to new life as a wildlife sanctuary, on a sand dune to protect the beach, chipped for mulch or as a bird feeder. 

To recycle your tree check out www.repak.ie to see their recycling centres in your area.

Tree Recycling / Mulching programs are also a fast-growing trend in communities throughout Ireland. Check below out your local department of public works for information.