Keep Kerry Clean

We have a beautiful county (photos). But as always, some people take it for granted and litter. The litter is unsightly and has a detrimental effect on wildlife. Every year we have a ‘Spring Clean’ where people come out and clean up the County.

In 2021, 3400 volunteers took part in the spring clean campaign collecting 30 tons of waste.

But some Kerry people go one further. They keep going all year round when people are too lazy to dispose of waste properly. They give up their free time to pick up the litter with special green bags, gloves, and litter pickers supplied by Kerry County Council. I applaud them. 

What can you recycle free of charge in the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

With the exception of Dingle where a fee applies, you can recycle glass bottles or jars, steel food cans, aluminum cans, domestic hazardous waste, scrap metal, textiles (Clothes), and cardboard free of charge. All the Civic Amenity Sites take in free of charge domestic electrical, and electronic waste.

Dingle has a gate fee. €3 for a car or €9 for a trailer, van, etc. Also, in Dingle, there are special rates for construction waste, green waste, and timber.

Which type of Household Hazardous Waste is accepted free of charge in the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

The item has to be in its original container with legible labeling.

Which type of Household Hazardous Waste is not accepted in the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

Where are the Kerry Bring Banks, or as they are more commonly known as Bottle Banks?

Put your town or village into the search field to see if there is a bring bank near you. There are 95 of them.

In Kerry, we have 5 Civic Amenity Sites where waste can be deposited. All the deposited waste is transferred off-site to be disposed of properly. They are Killarney, Milltown, Cahersiveen, Kenmare, and Dingle.

The Kerry Dump or it was formerly as the North Kerry Landfill is closed since 2014.

What are the opening times of the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

They are closed for lunch from 12:15 til 13:30.

What are the telephone & Eircode numbers of the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

If you put the Eircode into google maps on your phone it will bring you right to the site.

What are the charges in the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites?

1 regular black refuse (60L) sack is €5. A maximum of 6 can be accepted in the Civic Amenity Sites which costs €27.50.

What if you have more than 6 bags?

If you have more than 6 bags or if you have loose rubbish, your car, trailer, or van will be weighed at the entrance.  When you have offloaded your rubbish, it will be weighed again.

At the moment this costs €400 per tonne. So, if you have 100kg it will cost you €40. It is 40 cents per kg. The minimum charge is €27.50. For more information visit Kerry County Council.

How to reduce the cost of your black bin bag?

If you don’t want to separate your recycling, you can use Eco sense bags. They cost €8 for a pack of 4. You can only buy the Eco sense bags from the Kerry Civic Amenity Sites. Once you have them full, you can bring them back to any Kerry Civic Amenity Site.

What can go into the Eco Sense bags?

You can put steel food cans, aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic, newspapers, and magazines into the Eco Sense bags. No glass or polystyrene whatsoever can go into these bags.

Dingle Civic Amenity Site

https://vimeo.com/oneproductionsreview/review/478522453/b17f2aae69

Why Should You Compost?

Almost 30% of household waste is food scraps and yard waste, which can be composted to help keep your garden green. Not only do you save a pretty penny in what you would otherwise spend on fertilizers, but composting also does the important job of reducing the burden on landfills.

When you don’t compost, organic matter in your trash adds to these overflowing landfills, where it releases methane as it decomposes, further exacerbating the global warming problem.

Apart from how composting helps the environment, it’s also an excellent idea for your garden. While store-bought, chemical fertilizers get the job done, they pose the problem of runoff into nearby streams and rivers, affecting the marine ecosystem.

Moreover, compost offers the added benefits of enhanced moisture retention in the soil, a prolific soil ecosystem, and healthier plant growth.

Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio

Carbon and nitrogen are the most crucial of the many elements required for microbial decomposition. While carbon serves as the energy source, nitrogen is important for cell growth.

The balance of these two elements is the key to efficient composting. The optimal carbon-nitrogen ratio is 30:1; in other words, you need to add 30 parts of carbon to 1 part of nitrogen. At lower ratios, nitrogen is lost as ammonia, which brings an unpleasant odor, and at higher ratios, decomposition slows down.

At the right ratio, the compost is fertile and sweet-smelling.

Generally, ‘greens,’ such as plant cuttings and vegetable scraps, are high in nitrogen, while ‘browns,’ such as dry leaves and paper, are high in carbon.

If you’re unsure how a specific waste product is classified, a simple Google search is useful – not only to verify if the product is green or brown but also to check how best to add the said product to the compost.

For instance, eggshells should be crushed before adding to the compost pile while cardboard should be shredded and corn cobs should be chopped up.

What Kind of Composter to Use

To convert kitchen and other organic household waste into fertilizer, you’ll need a composter that does the job well and is convenient to use. A compost tumbler is an ideal choice since it is rotatable, making it easier to allow more oxygen into the pile without the need for manual labor with a pitchfork.

You want to go for a waist-high tumbler to avoid the need to bend. Also, a tumbler designed to stay off the ground solves the problem of protection against rodents. I have mine outside the backdoor.

From the options available in the market, I recommend the Joraform Compost Tumbler JK270 ‘Big Pig.’ You can get it from a Sligo firm.

I have it and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. The product is brilliant. It was very hard to put together and you will need 1 other person to help you. I am glad that I have the ‘Pig’ because I have only the use of 1 hand.

My Pig has got handles. It is very easy to rotate and composts very quickly. The main carbon I use is leaves that I collect in the Autumn.

Composting Conclusion

Composting is an easy and efficient way to manage your kitchen and garden waste while producing fertilizer. It’s easy enough to try on your own with a little knowledge that you can acquire online, plus a small appetite to try something new.

All you need to begin is a compost bin and a small space in your garden where you can try this fantastic waste management technique, which is great for you and the environment.

Private Waste Operators in Kerry

For people in North Kerry, there are two Civic Amenity Companies that will take your rubbish. They are Dillions and Higgins which are based in Tralee. You can also take electrical goods for recycling but they charge. The bigger the item the more expensive it will be.

There is 1 private waste operator in Killarney. That is Killarney Waste Disposal (KWD) but they only collect bins. You cannot go to their site to drop off your rubbish.

Other get sites are

mywaste.ie

Erp-Recycing

Check out my web pages on the Ring of Kerry Drive, The Skellig Ring and Slea Head Drive.