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DO YOU DO your bit for the planet? Are you careful about always putting paper and plastic into the green bin rather than the black?
Good stuff. However there is more that you can do – and it’s not much more difficult than chucking your paper into the recycling bin.
Here are six easy ways to help reduce your impact on the planet today. If you have any more tips, let us know in the comments below.
Did you know that using water more efficiently can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions? This is because it takes a lot of energy to purify and bring drinkable water to your home. Turning off taps and taking shorter showers can help but so can putting a brick in your toilet cistern to displace some of the water and so you don’t flush so much.
Sometimes you can’t avoid using plastic plates, cups or cutlery, but for the most part, if you can, do. If these are put into a landfill, as they tend to be, the plastic never biodegrades. Ever. So ditch those dishes.
Look, we all need that coffee jolt of a morning, but did you know that even if you rinse out and put your coffee cup into the recycling, chances are it’s still not getting recycled? A better option is to bring your own reusable coffee cup with you and save the planet one caffeine boost at a time.
Same goes for your water bottle. Buy a reusable one and… reuse it.
Some things that you can recycle that you mightn’t have known about are light bulbs, including CFL (energy saving) light bulbs, electronic cables and batteries, just not in your green bin. All these electrical items are handled through the WEEE programme which offers several different ways to recycle.
You can also recycle aerosol cans. Just make sure they’re empty, the lid is removed and never pierce them – not that you ever would.
We all know the old ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ but what’s becoming popular more and more is the fourth ‘R’ – repair. Repairing an item rather than throwing it away means it won’t end up in a landfill and will save you money. There are Repair Cafés around the country where you can go and see if someone has the skills to fix what’s ailing your item, or you can offer your own skills to items in need.
It’s not a glam as a thug life, but the Zero Trash life is out there, and it’s gaining ground. It may seem impossible at the outset, but there is plenty of evidence to show it can be done. Much like eating better and getting exercise, it takes planning and preparation. You might not be able to get to Zero Trash, but you can significantly reduce your rubbish output. Check out Trash is for Tossers for inspiration.
Fancy doing even more for your planet? Don’t throw your old CFL (energy-saving) lightbulbs in the bin. You can swap any old CFL bulb for a flowering bulb for free at any participating hardware store . It’s another bright idea from WEEE Ireland.
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Not really that surprising when Bruce Springsteen is playing 2 nights there……
Bruce would explain the surge in searches alright.
Im sure hotel searches in north Leitrim would also go up if the Boss was playing there too! Pointless article
I’m sure all hotel prices also double their prices when concerts are at slane etc.
I search for hotels in Afghanistan out of curiosity but dat doesn’t mean I stay there. Figures should be based on bookings not just searches. Sorry bord failte for upsetting yer figures
Kilkenny is full of annoying stag & hen parties every weekend. It’s popular because the town centre is so small that they have to do hardly any walking between pubs & because the town is so central, half way between Cork & Dublin. The county doesn’t have any beaches or mountains or stuff to do, it’s just a place to go on the beer, a kind of Temple Bar South.
Jesus, Thomas, we get the southeast is is lovely and it is but if you constantly try to push it down our necks your gonna turn us off the place!
Jesus and what exactly does Waterford have for tourists?? A made up triangle, many infested beaches, unsafe amusement parks, a quay full of heroine addicts and a terrible attitude to boot!!
Thomas, is that Reginalds Tower that I see your profile picture? Waterford people are known for their dislike of the Marble City.
Joe
You have a real problem with all those “heroine” addicts all right. Sure they must be all women!
Waterford has 1100 years of history Joe, the oldest city in Ireland. That’s 700 years more than Kilkenny. These polluted beaches you speak off were full of Kilkenny people yesterday so other than yourself, Kilkenny people find them quite good, Many of them have Blue Flags too so the EU thinks the water is ok. Kilkenny has a castle & that’s it. It’s just a glorified Temple Bar.
Ah Thomas will you ever give the Waterford thing a rest, every comment you ever make is about Waterford as tiring as that is when you start moaning about your neighbouring county out of some petty Gaa shite it really shows you up.
The best thing you could do for Waterford is to delete your account.
That’s because Kk beat them in the hurling and there train station is in Kk. Kk is way way nicer place not as nice as cork dho ;)
Oh dear, have I offended you Bilbo. Excuse me for expressing an opinion that differs from yours. If I offend you so much, maybe you should delete your a/c.
Who’s offended? You just need to unstick that repeat button you’ve got on, or get out of dungarvan a little more.
I have to agree this Waterford is better than Kilkenny shite is boring at this stage!!!
If you think Kilkenny has nothing to offer then I suggest you take a trip to places like Inistiogue! It is stunning and beats any beach.
Hand on my heart when I see tourists walking down the quay in Waterford I feel sorry for them because there is shag all to do after a few hours. I just think Waterford has suffered big time during the recession and it really shows. If locals can’t see that then they are delusional.
Seriously though get over the whole Waterford v’s KK. Empty vessels make most noise after all.
Kilkenny and Waterford are both lovely, with great historical attractions and culture. Stop being spiteful Thomas, don’t let that sun get to your head and spout more anti-KK rhetoric than usual.
Your point being? :)
I don’t like Waterford, even though I live there. Tomas’s comments always make me dislike it more…bleh.
Good aul Waterford, the unemployment blackspot of Ireland. Even through the good years they were still the unemployment blackspot of Ireland. Lazy shower of so and so’s….
Well Lucy, tourists find plenty of things to do & see in Waterford. For a start, Reginald’s Tower Viking museum, Choristers Hall Medieval museum, The Bishops Palace Georgian museum, one of Ireland’s finest cathedrals Christchurch Cathedral, House of Waterford Crystal, Kite design studios, 33 The Mall where the Irish tri-colour was flown for the 1st time, then there are lots of festivals such as SPRAOI, Harvest food festival, Imagine arts festival, Avenue arts festival & Winterval. & that’s just in the city.
Thomas, you can’t be letting the truth out about KK now! ;)
Pete you clown! Geography obviously not your strong point then?!
Lucy, Waterford has ten Inistioges! For the record everyone, Inistioge is not in Kkwnny town.
But hey – we’re used to industrial refugees from south KK biting the hand that feeds them. God love them. Must be terrible to work in a place you hate so much!
And where are YOU from Ian?
Waterford contributed more in taxes down the years (especially from Waterford Crystal) than the neighbouring counties added together.
A point conveniently overlooked by morons like yourself Ian.
Bashing Kilkenny again Thomas , it’s getting old at this stage , have a bla and relax will ya . Don’t get arrested picking up any hookers in beautiful Waterford now will ya . Up the cats
John, KK has more hookers than Waterford ever will!
I wouldn’t know Ebola
Lovely little town……had a great and peaceful time there few years ago.
529% working of what base.
If I have one apple and buy 5 more, I increase my apples by 500% (hope that’s right, been out of school for some time.
Give us real figures not these airy fairy percentages.
A bit of honesty is probably too much to expect in this poor ignorant country.
Exactly what percentage honesty are you proposing ? ‘A bit’ is kind of ill defined in all fairness.
Thomas , you’d put people off Waterford which is a shame cos it’s a beautiful county with nice people . As is Kilkenny
Of course it was after a trip to Kilkenny that Trey Parker and Matt Stone came up with the whole idea of South Park.
So.. Kilkenny was one of the top searches fine obviously people had reason to go looking but looking & booking are not the same thing
I regularly look at the cost of flights and accommodation in NYC but I won’t be going there unless I win the lotto :)
As for the Waterford v Kilkenny thing… Give it up
Waterford has its pros and cons, so does Kilkenny
So does Clare, we have blue flag beaches, the burren, the cliffs of Moher, Willie Clancy week (on at the moment) Lisdoonvarna etc etc but we also have bad roads poor signposts. (Thanks to the NRA) and bad weather 50 weeks of the year ;)
Listening to ye arguing would put me off visiting either place!
I think we covered the old sign posting problem on here a while back. Seems they haven’t done much about it in the interim. Poor lost and hungry souls.
I’m selling two tickets for Bruce on Saturday 27th July in Kilkenny for face value of €90 each. If anybody’s interested PM me.
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