Our New Irish Waste Collection Journey with Panda – More Than Just Bin Collection

Helen recently forwarded me ‘The Panda Home Recycling Welcome Pack‘ from our new bin collection company, and I have to say – I’m genuinely impressed with how waste management works here in Ireland.

The Irish Difference

Moving from Ashtead to rural Ireland has been an eye-opener in many ways, not least regarding how waste collection works.

Unlike England, there’s no council tax here – which means you organise your own refuse collection. Whilst this might sound like a faff, I think it’s brilliant because it makes you far more conscious of the waste you produce.

And with us settling into a rental farmhouse for at least 12 months (thanks to those time-consuming probate issues and planned renovations on our new place), getting this sorted was essential.

Helen used to take our rubbish to her mum’s – I hope that wasn’t the main attraction of her visits! 😆

Panda’s Comprehensive Approach to Recycling

Looking through Panda’s welcome pack, I was genuinely impressed by their detailed recycling guidelines. If you’re interested in reducing your own household waste, you might want to check out my earlier post on practical steps for sustainable living.

Recycling Bin – More Comprehensive Than Expected

• Soft Plastics: Unlike in Ashtead, they accept bread bags, bubble wrap, crisp packets, and even cling film!
• Clean Aluminium: Everything from drink cans to clean foil and food trays
• Tetra Pak: All those juice and milk cartons (rinsed out, of course)
• Paper & Cardboard: The usual suspects – newspapers, magazines, clean cardboard
• Plastics: All clean household containers, from yoghurt pots to shampoo bottles

Compost Bin – From Food to Energy

Here’s something fascinating I learned from their welcome pack – 80% of food waste is composted and returned to the earth, while 20% is converted into electricity for homes.

The compost bin accepts:

• All cooked and raw foods
• Garden waste (including those pesky weeds)
• Wet cardboard and paper towels

Panda’s Impressive Sustainability Commitment

This isn’t just about sorting rubbish (If you’re interested in more sustainable practices, check out my guide on transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle). Panda has some serious eco-credentials:

• They’ve introduced Ireland’s first fully electric bin lorries – they already have five in their fleet!
• Their recycling facility in Ballymount is powered by solar panels, which also charge their electric vehicles
• 100% of black bin waste is converted into green energy
• They’ve even introduced Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles to reduce emissions further

Ireland’s Progressive Approach

What’s encouraging is seeing Ireland’s broader commitment to recycling:

• Many supermarkets have reverse vending machines that pay you for returning plastic bottles and cans (reminds me of returning glass bottles for deposits back in the day – showing my age here!)
• Aldi’s leading the way with 100% recyclable packaging on their own-brand items
• Even those usually plastic-coated wire ties are paper-coated at Aldi 👍🏾

To my local SuperValu – when are you getting those bottle return machines installed? No pressure, but your competitors are leading the way! 😉

Supporting Local While Reducing Waste

While I’m impressed with Panda’s recycling programme, I realise the next step in our journey should be reducing waste at the source.

If you’re interested, I’ve written about how to support local eco-friendly businesses.

We’re planning to:

• Grow our own vegetables and herbs
• Create a sustainable kitchen garden
• Reduce our dependence on shop-bought produce
• Minimise our overall waste footprint

There will be something fulfilling about popping out to your garden to harvest dinner ingredients rather than unwrapping them from plastic packaging.

It’s all part of our broader vision for creating a true eco-home.

Small Steps, Big Impact

The key message here – sustainability is a journey, not a destination.

Whilst I’m impressed with Panda’s recycling programme and Ireland’s progressive approach to waste management, the real goal is to generate less waste in the first place (I’ve written a detailed step-by-step guide on transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle).

We’re taking it one step at a time:

1. First, maximising our recycling
2. Next, switching to local farmers’ markets
3. Finally, growing our own food

Looking Ahead

Ireland is taking significant strides in environmental responsibility, perhaps even outpacing the UK in some areas. Having a bin collection service that’s focused on sustainability makes it easier for households to do their part.

The fact that they process three million tonnes of waste annually, turning non-recyclable items into energy rather than sending them to landfills, shows real commitment to a circular economy.