08 November 2021
Go to release: Household Environmental Behaviours - Waste and Recycling Quarter 3 2021
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (08 November 2021) published Household Environmental Behaviours - Waste and Recycling Quarter 3 2021. The report analyses how Irish households manage their waste. The findings are based on a household environment module undertaken during the third quarter of 2021.
Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division Clare O’Hara commented: ”The household survey covered four main topics: Environmental Concerns; Visits to Nature Areas; Waste and Recycling; and Energy Use. The report being published today is the third of four reports that are being published to coincide with the UN Climate Conference (COP26). The Waste and Recycling topic covered how households dispose of their waste, sources of irritating noise pollution, radon exposure, and purchases of second-hand items. Around 80% of households dispose of non-recyclable waste using a wheelie bin collection service. In rural areas, 15% of households bring it to a recycling centre compared with 4% of households in urban areas.
The situation for recyclable waste is broadly similar with 78% of households using a wheelie bin service. Food waste was disposed of in a greater variety of ways: 49% of households used a wheelie bin service; 30% put it in the residual bin; 16% composted it at home; and 13% fed it to animals. Geographical location was an important factor e.g. 28% of rural households fed food waste to animals compared with 6% of urban households.
Garden waste was more likely to be composted at home than food waste with 37% of households using the organic bin and 37% composting it. In rural households 69% composted garden waste compared with 22% of urban households.
Road traffic was the main source of noise pollution that caused irritation to a household. Although 54% of households did not report any irritating noise pollution, 25% of households experienced it from road traffic, 19% from dogs, and 19% from neighbouring houses. Higher levels of noise pollution from road traffic were experienced by rented households (34%) compared with 21% of owner-occupied households.
The report found that 12% of households were tested for radon and 1% of households had radon levels above the reference level.
Around 8% of households often bought or received used clothes through second-hand shops or internet platforms. Only 1% of households often purchased used electronic items from second-hand shops and 2% often purchased used furniture from second-hand shops."
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