Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's Environmental Awareness Summer 2021 Newsletter
July 2021
Environmental Awareness eNewsletter Summer Edition
Upcoming Environmental Dates
Plastic Free July – a global movement to reduce plastic pollution.
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• World Population Day - 11 th of July 2021. Please visit www.un.org • International Bog Day – 25 th of July. Please visit www.ipcc.ie for more information.
• Heritage Week – 14 th to 22 nd of August. Please visit www.heritageweek.ie
Contact us
Do you have a query about an environmental outreach programme? Please contact Environmental Awareness by email EnvAware@dlrcoco.ie or call us on 01- 2054700. For all other general queries please contact Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Civic Hub on 01-2054700 or email info@dlrcoco.ie.
• World Clean-up Day – 18 th of September 2021.
• Dublin Community Clean-up Week - 11 th to 19 th September.
Dublin Climate Action Week - 13 th to 19 th September.
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World Car-Free Day – 22 nd of September.
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July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Plastic Free July - Collaboration with Susan Adams
To celebrate Plastic Free July, we have collaborated with local environmental innovator Susan Adams to create a series of resources about reducing the ‘pointless plastic’ in our everyday lives. Speaking at the launch of the new campaign, An Cathaoirleach Cllr. Lettie McCarthy noted that “we are all becoming more aware of how our daily lives impact our shared environment. Much of the plastic we encounter in our everyday lives can be avoided…Even one change during Plastic Free July will make a difference and be part of the solution to plastic pollution.” This environmental awareness campaign will feature on dlr social media accounts throughout the month of July. The campaign focuses on reducing unnecessary plastic in the bathroom, kitchen and on-the-go. Please visit the Council website (link here) or YouTube Channel (link here) to view the full campaign.
Even one change will collectively make a real difference. It can reduce energy usage, consumption of raw materials, transport emissions and litter pollution. Switching to reusable items can also save money in the long term.
View the campaign on the dlr website and YouTube channel.
Get involved : if your group would like to get involved in this campaign, please feel free to share or like our Plastic Free July social media posts or email envaware@dlrcoco.ie for a copy of all campaign materials.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Making the Most of Summer Barbeques
Environmental Awareness, in partnership with the EPA and other Local Authorities, have created a new summer food waste prevention campaign with Catherine Fulvio. Catherine’s cookery demonstration videos illustrate how to make the most of food this summer. With more people choosing to BBQ this summer, Catherine shows how with a little bit of preparation and planning, you can cook an amazing BBQ for your guests while producing less food waste and taking time pressure off the host. Did you know that food waste creates 8-10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions? Reducing food waste at home is a climate positive action. Furthermore, Irish households throw away an average of €700 worth of food every year. Reducing food waste this summer will save food, time and money.
Get your own copy of the summer recipes
• For a copy of Catherine Fulvio Summer Recipes please click here • For the Luscious Leftover Recipe Booklet please click here • Watch Catherine Fulvio’s demonstration videos on dlr YouTube
View the full environmental awareness campaign on the dlr website by clicking here .
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Host a private webinar for your group
Would you like to increase environmental awareness about food waste in your local area?
We have free community workshops available on;
Composting at Home, Guide to Success This introductory workshop with Craig Benton focuses on how to create your own ‘black gold’ at home! With time for interaction, question and answers. The Stop Food Waste Challenge This workshop aims to provide information and advice on reducing food waste at home. For more information on the Stop Food Waste programme please visit here (www.stopfoodwaste.ie)
Both workshops will be delivered online (over Zoom) and will be funded by dlr.
If your community group, resident association, tidy town or tidy district group would like to get involved and host your own workshop, please email EnvAware@dlrcoco.ie.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Contactless Coffee
RepairMyStuff.ie
Many coffee shops in dlr, and nationwide, have introduced ‘contactless coffee’ as a way to safely serve customers in their own reusable cup during Covid 19.
Purchasing a new laptop or washing machine when an old one breaks is not always necessary. Repair can be a cheaper alternative. It is also a more environmentally friendly option.
www.RepairMyStuff.ie is a directory of local repair professionals operating in your area.
The Conscious Cup Campaign has created a useful map showing coffee shops currently offering this contactless coffee service for reusable cups. If your local coffee shop would like to join the free map, please ask them to visit www.consciouscup.ie
It is free for all repair enterprises to register.
This independent website was created by local authorities, in conjunction with the EPA.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Single Use Plastic Directive
New Guide for Residents’ Associations
dlr’s Community Section have launched a guide for new Residents’ Associations. Please find a copy of this guide on dlrcoco.ie here . If you would like any advice or more information please contact our Community Development Officers. To find the name and contact number of your local Community Development Officer please visit here
Single-use plastic products (SUPs) are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. The ten most commonly found single-use plastic items represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU. The EU SUP Directive 2019/904 aims to reduce the volume of specific plastic products on the environment. Ireland is complying with the Directive by ensuring the following SUP items will be banned from being placed on the Irish market from 3 July 2021 - cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, chopsticks, straws, expanded polystyrene single use food and beverage containers and all oxo- degradable plastic products.
For more information please visit www.gov.ie
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Upcycle Challenge 2021 Now Open
The National Upcycle Challenge invites participants to use their imagination to create something new from old, unwanted or discarded materials. A total of € 6,000 worth of prizes are available across eight categories including; • Best in Eastern/Midlands Region; • Best Men’s Shed or Community Group; • Best School; • Best Professional; • The EPA Special Prize; • The Public Choice Award. For more information on the competition, and to submit an application, log on to MyWaste.ie .
The closing date is the 15 th of October.
Closing Date: 15 th October 2021
For ideas, visit the Rediscovery Centre website here. They have created a number of free online video guides about upcycling.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Tidy Districts Consultation 2021
Thirsty trees and dry weather
The Council kindly asks for your help to keep our trees hydrated over the dry summer months. Newly planted trees are fragile and may need extra care. If you have new trees near your home and you’d like to help, please water the base of a tree with recycled water (already used within the home e.g. bathwater) or collected rainwater. Please be mindful to conserve the supply of fresh drinking water, particularly during dry weather.
A total of forty- one residents’ associations, tidy districts and tidy town groups are taking part in dlr’s Tidy Districts environmental awareness programme this summer. The visits and phone calls are now underway and will conclude in August.
Thank you to the volunteers who improve their local environment for the benefit of all.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Dublin Community Clean-up Week 2021
dlr Community Clean-up Scheme Update
The dlr Community Clean-up scheme supports voluntary community groups and schools wishing to organise a litter pick in their local area. This litter scheme operates all year. If you would like to access equipment under the Community Clean-up Scheme (blue bags, litter pickers, gloves or high-vis) please use the ‘ Report It ’ tool to log a request. The Council offices aren’t currently open for equipment collection but we will provide an alternative, if possible. We will contact you directly to provide more information. The blue bag collection service is operating. Please use the ‘ Report It ’ tool to arrange the location and date of the blue litter bag collection. To prevent any delays, please contact us before the voluntary litter-pick.
Dublin Community Clean-up Week 2021 takes place from the 11 th to 19 th of September.
We are inviting volunteers from all parts of Dublin to join forces and organise clean-ups around their area, to make this the biggest clean-up event ever. Registrations will open in late July. To get involved, please visit www.dublincommunitycleanupday.ie .
From the mountains to the sea let’s make Dublin litter free!
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
New Improving Biodiversity 2021
The Parks and Landscape Section of the Community and Cultural Department are running a grant scheme in 2021 aimed at facilitating communities to improve biodiversity at local level. It is open to residents’ association, tidy towns or tidy district groups.
The projects must fit into one of the following categories:
To apply, please visit the dlr Grant Portal here
1. Tiny Forests, 2. Small Community Orchard, 3. Pollinator Flower Areas, 4. Successional bulb planting, 5. Grant to fund a consultant ecologist, 6. There will be a maximum of 10 park benches available for communities.
For more information please contact the Parks Section (info@dlrcoco.ie )
Get involved in Biodiversity Policy
The grant deadline is 16 th of July . Interested groups are invited to visit the dlr grant portal here .
Are you interested in our shared biodiversity? dlr’s new County Biodiversity Action Plan will open for public consultation this summer.
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Climate Action Week - 13 th to 19 th of September
The first Dublin Climate Action Week (#DCAW21), will take place from Monday 13 th to Sunday 19 th September 2021, and is being planned to demonstrate the ongoing efforts, ambitions and the collaborative approach of the four Dublin local authorities, in addressing climate action. The week is being organised and delivered by the partnership of Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Codema – Dublin’s Energy Agency and the Dublin Climate Action Regional Office (CARO). Dublin Climate Action Week 2021 will comprise of a range of online and in-person events, in compliance with COVID-19 measures in place at that time .
The agreed shared objectives of the initiative are: • Demonstrate progress on the implementation of the four Dublin local authority Climate Change Action Plans, and a regional approach to climate action; • Engage with a full range of partners to share knowledge on efforts and innovation across sectors; • Make climate action a ‘reality’ allowing citizens to see what climate action looks like; • Promote this initiative so as to fully engage with EU and international cities and our climate peers; and • Create a legacy so that this initiative can carry forward to subsequent years in a variety of ways.
The overall vision of Dublin Climate Action Week 2021 is to showcase Dublin’s climate action progress to its citizens and demonstrate the leadership role of the four local authorities in conjunction with other partners.
The full programme of events will be available for registration from August on the DCAW21 website at www . dublinclimateactionweek . ie .
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Congratulations Green-Schools
Relove Fashion
Congratulations to the many schools within Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown who were awarded a new Green Flag this year! The Green-Schools programme is facilitated by environmental awareness staff in conjunction with An Taisce.
The Relove Fashion Competition for secondary schools will be returning in September. Relove Fashion encourages students to take a deeper look at how their clothing is made. The competition explores creative reuse options such as upcycling, repairs, alterations and mending. Students use their design and repair skills to make their own fashion statement. Further information please visit the new Relove Fashion website www.relovefashion.ie
The programme is designed to promote and acknowledge whole school action for the environment. Schools undertake long term projects on environmental issues such as waste and litter management, energy, water, sustainable transport, biodiversity and global citizenship.
July 2021
Environmental Awareness Newsletter Summer Edition
Picker Pals
The New Dublin Bay Biosphere Award
The Dublin Bay Biosphere Award has been developed in partnership with Scouting Ireland and is a three-part programme which challenges young people to use your senses to connect with nature and take action to protect our UNESCO designated biosphere.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown have partnered with Picker Pals again this year to provide workshops to primary schools in dlr working on reducing litter and waste in their school.
Picker Pals is an environmental education programme for primary schools. Through stories, songs and an educational picker pack, Picker Pals provides children and their families with an opportunity to engage in a variety of environmental actions, particularly litter picking. The programme is operated by VOICE Ireland. If you know, or work within, a primary school that may be interested in this programme, please ask the school to email envaware@dlrcoco.ie.
The award is open to any young person, scout or non-scout. To get started check out the Dublin Bay Biosphere Award webpage. Here, you will find lots of resources and videos about exploration, trees, bees, water and much more!
Environmental Awareness Newsletter
Managing Waste Covid 19 Notice
Managing Waste Covid 19 Notices
• Private household waste collectors are operating and providing a normal service. • They have asked customers to present bins the evening before a scheduled collection and to disinfect handles.
If any member of the household is self- isolating with a suspected case of Covid 19 or has tested positive for Covid 19. • Put all your personal rubbish (waste) such as gloves, tissue, masks, wipes in a bin bag and tie it securely.
• Put this bin bag into a second bin bag and tie securely.
• Please inform the Council know if you notice a full street bin. We will organise a collection as a matter of urgency. Email info@dlrcoco.ie or call on 01-2054700. • Ballyogan Recycling Park is currently operational during the COVID19 restrictions. Some delays and restrictions are in place due to social distancing protocols. For further information on the quieter times, materials accepted, and charges please call Ballyogan directly on (01) 2913600. • The Council’s bring bank sites remain open to the public for recycling of glass. The contractor and Council are both working hard to meet the increased demand. Please do not leave any litter. If the banks are full, please report this to the Council. Email info@dlrcoco.ie or call on 01-2054700.
• Store the bag somewhere safe for 3 days and then put the bag into your wheelie bin for collection.
Remember to disinfect bin handles.
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For more information, please visit www.MyWaste.ie (link here).
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