Join us at the Ludgate where the Energy Masterplan for Skibbereen will be launched on Sturday April 22nd at 3pm.
Hear about steps to reduce Skibbereen’s carbon footprint by 90% by 2040. How will we decarbonise the town.
Come along to find out.
Tea and coffee provided and free LED bulbs for all attendees
Waste management. I cannot believe this is not mentioned as part of the Development plan as it is integral if areas are to have increased housing and business. While Ireland currently recycles 33% of all plastics, higher than most EU countries, that figure needs to rise to 50% in 2025 and 55% by 2030 to meet EU targets. 40% of all municipal waste is recycled. But where?
General. Recycling and waste bring centres should be expanded and rationalised so that a visitor is clear what materials are taken and the same things are taken across the county. Each centre should also have the facility to take some domestic rubbish especially in small towns where the surrounding areas may not have door to door collection.Skibbereen has just adopted this scheme, which, although expensive, is appreciated. Recycling of cans and bottles is well established, but a deposit scheme for glass bottles would save on energy (Energy) if they were washed and reused. A collect and return scheme would be needed to get them back to the manufacturer or a bottle sanitising plant. Which could return the clean bottles to the manufacturer in the same way the new ones were sent out for filling.
Recycling systems can include a more rigorous sorting of materials into say plastic bottles, soft plastic and black plastic to improve prices fetched for recyclable material.
Communities could be funded to set up repair cafes. An attempt in Skibbereen was scuppered by the lack of insurance cover. Insurance companies need to be held to account for their refusal to cover community schemes. O’Donovan’s hotel in Clonakilty had to stop the rent a bike scheme through lack of insurance. This needs addressing countywide and nationwide. Repair cafes and freecycle groups keep materials out of the waste stream for longer and provide opportunities for socialising and innovative business. (Community). Principles of the circular economy should be adopted to keep as much material in circulation for as long as possible in its different forms before it finally goes for recycling.
Recycling Centre with more space could devote and area for people to buy or take for free others unwanted but usable items. Skibbereen has Lisheens House which takes used furniture and sells it for funds and is a much valued resource for furniture and for assistance with mental health.
Food waste: The average household in Ireland is responsible for 117kgs of Food Waste pa. Provision of land for allotments and community gardens in town areas provide not only a space to restore well being and meet others, but also a place to grow food.(Community) This reduces food miles (Energy), is more likely to be produced organically (Biodiversity) and can provide composting areas to keep food and vegetable waste out of the urban waste stream. One Green Village Baltimore is setting up such a scheme. In areas where this cannot happen, collection points at the local recycling centres could be serviced by local farmers or other enterprise with space and facilities to compost efficiently. Money could be recouped by selling bags of compost. Tidy towns and other interested parties could be involved in smaller scale ventures, perhaps on street and housing estate level. This is being looked at by Sustainable Skibbereen. Local food markets selling local food reducing food miles (Energy) should be encouraged as people tend to bring their own bags and only buy what they need, rather than the ‘two for one’ special offers encouraging over buying where often the second often unwanted portion lands up in the bin.
Plastic.
It is quite clear that plastic has become a major pollutant of land, sea and more recently, air.
Another huge issue is the pollution of the seas, beaches and coastline especially by plastics. A lot of this is in the form of ghost fishing nets found at sea, but also it is clear that on some piers, Baltimore being an example, uncontrolled waste due to net maintenance, where small pieces of cut off nets are left lying around and blow straight into the sea, as is quite evident from the plastic collected from nearby beaches by volunteers. These could be hoovered up from the pier as soon as the net maintenance is finished if there was the machine and enough pressure to do so. The harbour masters should be educated to see the problems of waste plastic in the oceans and given the responsibility of clearing up everything. In my experience some people ignore the small pieces as the large nets are put to one side. Collection of plastics from the sea by boats is encouraged but it is common knowledge that a lot of rubbish is still thrown overboard out of sight of land. County Cork could work towards a more responsible fishing industry community and port management. The County spends a considerable amount in disposal of unwanted nets collected at port and the reason for this waste could be examined with the purpose of reducing it. The leisure craft side also holds a huge responsibility here. (Maritime Cork)
The Blue Flags awarded to beaches should include an element where the rubbish on the beach is included in the assessment for the award. (Green infrastructure). This should be made clear on the beaches themselves and visitors encouraged to take their litter home. On the busier beaches in the summer a beach patrol could be set up a mix of funded workers and volunteers to make visitors aware of the damage done to wildlife and a bit of fun around clearing up.
Ultimately because the plastics industry is driven by the oil industry and the marketing of plastic products is production driven not consumer led, there is a huge role for government on local, national and European levels. Presently the responsibility for disposal is pushed squarely in the shoulders of the consumer and the costs of disposal / recycling borne by them and the County Council. The choice of wrappings in the supermarkets is skewed in the case of fruit and veg towards plastic wrapped fruit as it is usually cheaper and so much easier to pick up one pack rather than select 6 individual apples for example. Plastic is an amazing product which does its job exceedingly well but it shouldn’t be an instantly disposable product. We have only got to this stage because the cost of disposal/ recycling has not been taken into account in the manufacture. This has to be reversed. And less plastic used in wrapping will also reduce the amount of plastic rubbish strewn in our hedgerows and beaches. It is difficult to see how to dissuade the section of public who throw rubbish out of car windows and dump bags in the countryside.
Although Ireland recycles 40% of its waste, recycling of plastics has been shown to be a poor system. In the best of worlds it can only be recycled a small number of times and only 9% is generally recycled. How does Cork County Council check that what is sent for recycling actually gets recycled? This is an important question in the light of recent reports where UK recycling has been found on Turkish beaches. Technologies should be looked at where plastic can be recycled locally ( Energy) or turned back into oil by pyrolysis to use as a raw material Incineration is a short term answer and its value increased by producing heat or electricity, but it is controversial as unless very carefully run it produces air pollutants. Incineration should not therefore be relied on as a way to remove plastic waste. Certain plastics can be used to produce long lasting structural plastics for domestic and commercial use such as fences and outdoor structures. This could be more easily achieved by better sorting of plastics at the source of collection to provide a cleaner supply. Deposit on bottles is a system long operated successfully in Germany. There is no reason why the reverse vending machines cannot be used in Ireland. Wy not start in County Cork? The Refill program for drinking water refilling stations reduces the need for plastic bottles of water (Energy). This is already in place I Skibbereen and Baltimore and could be further be rolled out in Cork County with the help of community groups, such as One Green Village Zero Waste and Tidy Towns. Keep cups are a growing trend but it has been up to individuals to take this up. Coffee outlets need to be encouraged, perhaps by. Increasing the tax on single use cups and reducing tax on the keep cups. The County Council and UCC have set a good example here by banning the disposables. While some single use plastics are being banned, the Council should take the matter to Government to reduce the production of the single use plastics again maybe by taxation and invest in development to produce long lasting reusable containers for transport of goods which can be taken back up the supply chain to be refilled. This could happen if suppliers got together to streamline container designs and rationalise supply chains. Tax incentives could work with supermarkets given a break if they adopt such schemes. Compostible containers have their place but it’s often confusing as to whether they are fully compostable in the domestic situation or whether they need high temperature composting by commercial facilities. Plastic producers could accordingly be taxed on the amount of material used for single use plastic bags for instance, or given the responsibility of their disposal or recycling. If being imported from outside the EU plastic rich products could be subject to higher import tax. The number of different types of plastic should also be reduced to enable easier recycling. The council could continue the analysis of their own (plastic) waste and look to its reduction. There could be prizes and recognition for companies who reduce their waste by a given amount.
Textiles usually include some synthetic forms these days, so a form of plastic. Waste is partly created by cheap imported clothing, items being worn very few times before discarding. Charity shops and others selling second hand clothing could have rates reductions as they are keeping clothing out of the waste stream. Enterprises using used cloth and other materials could be encouraged though schools and universities
With so much in the news about the likelihood of reaching a tipping point for climate a change and biodiversity, it struck me that we are facing a different tipping point, this one in a more postive sense.
Led by Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough globally and Saoi O’Connor and Alicia O’Sullivan locally, people are waking up to the global catastrophe facing us and although some groups still haven’t ‘got’ it and governments, it seems, are still keen to greenwash actions, the general public have a growing awareness of what they can do on a smaller scale. All these smaller actions add up to a positive tipping point. We’ve not reached it yet, but it is approaching!
Look at the growing number of organisations…Extinction Rebellion, the Zero waste and Rewilding movement as some examples which if added on to the longer established organisations such as WWF, Friends of the Earth, Geenpeace show the spread of DIY action on a more local scale. There is a huge amount of scientific data, far more available in the public domain and now reported on more frequently, clearly showing the state we are in, so there is no excuse for non action. UCC have been getting awards for being a green university, and have been organising so many environmental events, it is a huge inspiration.
The Tidy Towns Movement has now gone way beyond begonias and litter picking. In our own community in Skibbereen and Baltimore Tidy Towns are actively involved in projects aimed at improving biodiversity. Look out for the public training sessions. Schools are joining the plastic free4schools, Rory Jackson has been leading transition year groups to categorise the waste they pick up on their beach forays. Others quietly pick rubbish off the streets and beaches.
Paula Marten has her Paula’s Positive Tips stand to take places to help people reduce their plastic use. Supermarkets are now selling some items which help the customer achieve this. There is Maggy’s, Soap box and others on the market, and Twig refill station in Clonakilty doing the same. So much is happening. Why not send us anything that has inspired you to action, or something you are doing already, which is helping us along the road to reach the positive tipping point?
Starting on Thursday 5th March children in Skibbereen will be able to cycle safely to school as part of the new Cycle Bus scheme.
Three schools are taking part- St Patrick’s Boys, Abestrewry National and the Skibbereen Gaelscoil. Any students who want to cycle safely to school can register with their school and join the convoy as it travels through the town, picking up cyclists on the way and delivering them to the three schools.
The convoy will run on Thursdays and be accompanied by adult volunteeers and a cycling Ban Garda. It is being organsied by Katie Mann of Cycle Sense.
Cycle Sense write “Soon children in Skibbereen will be able to go to school on their bike by joining a Cycle Bus (a group of cyclists supervised by marshals) This group will stop at various places around town and finish at the school… Watch this space!”
To find out more contact your school.
In the Uk and Ireland many local authorities and cities are encouraging cycling for all generations. Broxap reports
With children spending more time behind screens than outside, cycling can be a healthy and fun way of encouraging children to enjoy the outdoors. People of all ages can enjoy cycling, but learning to ride from a young age will equip children with a skill for life. Cycling to school is a good starting point to get children out and about and on their bikes. Providing cycle parking at school will encourage more pupils to ride to school.
Benefits of Cycling To School
Pictured are Katie of Cycle Sense and Brian of Sustainable Skibbereen and St Patrick’s BNS.
SKIBBEREEN TIDY TOWNS MULTI ANNUAL PLAN 2018 – 2021
Skibbereen is a market town with a population of approximately 2000 people in the urban area. It serves a hinterland of about 10,000 within a ten mile radius.
It has a busy cattle mart, the NCT and driving licence centre for West Cork, 1gb Digital Hub (The Ludgate Centre) and is the gateway to the Mizen. So it’s a busy place.
Our committee has worked ceaselessly over the years, always trying to improve and upgrade the town and it hasn’t always been easy.
However, in 2018 Skibbereen faces enormous challenges, the lion’s share of which are infrastructural.
Briefly we are in the throes of a flood relief plan which will continue for the next one and a half to two years. Added to that we are awaiting the appointment of a County Council architect to implement a plan which has already been drawn up, but which so far we have not been given sight of. Our local council rep has also been replaced with an official with a wider brief who no longer has the time to meet with us or with the Chamber of Commerce so our ability to liaise and plan locally is restricted. FAS have had problems with recruitment which has reduced the number of FAS people working with us from 11 to 4. In view of the above, we have decided to aim our plans for this year and next, at establishing really good relationships with all our other business and community partners highlighting different projects that are within our grasp while we lobby and wait for the infrastructure to be sorted. In the longer term the flood relief work will leave the town in better shape, and we are working with those engineers to plan for the landscaping and greening of the areas affected.
We have a number of goals, which have a three year time span;
Targets: presentations to 50 schools and groups by 2019. Collaboration on 10 projects by 2019
Targets: 6 training sessions on Zero Waste and Sustainability and promotion of the Sustainable 7 across the town by 2019
Target: launch of SS website and social media summer 2018. Establish annual funding for SS for 2019 onwards.
Target: 10 local businesses to work with us on waste management by 2020
Targets: E.g. Apple Town, our goal is to plant 2020 apple trees by 2020, in all the schools, housing estates, and any available green areas. A sub committee of Incredible Edible and Herb Ville are working on a similar planting plan which has huge benefits for all the members of our community. The plans over two years include planting 20 herb boxes around the town, sponsored by local businesses and organisations and supported by herb growers and schools, with accompanying culinary and educational materials. Wildlife project aims to enlist the support of Heritage Centre, West Cork Birdwatch, Wildflower groups and whale watching groups by 2019.
Target: 50 new flower and bird boxes and beehives by 2020
Target: Initial report by May 2019. Signage and literature by 2019. 5 projects launched for completion by 2020
Target: Work with Chamber of Commerce and other SS groups to establish regular liaison and co-working meetings with CC by 2019. Increase the no of FAS workers to 10 by 2019. Plan and develop a bird friendly observation garden in North Street overlooking the river for use by schools, in conjunction with flood engineers and CCC.
Target: 5 regular sponsors of TT and SS projects by 2020, with annual fundraising efforts to raise 5000 pa in total.
Target: 3 wildlife trails by 2020.
Target: 4 new collaborative projects on town maintenance by 2020
Target: full dossier of photos by end 2018. Regular annual updates for 2019 and 2020.
Target: 20,000 annual hits to website and 1000 followers on FB and twitter by 2020.
Target: Build on and promote the 3 tidy towns walks and annual walking festival with wildlife walks, Friends of the Rock walks and riverside walks by 2020. Develop and promote walk to work and walk to school initiatives.
Target: 10 sub groups of SS permanently established by 2020 covering the full range of TT annual competition categories.
Target: To triple the number of regular volunteers attending TT meet-ups, litter picking days and Sustainable Skibbereen working groups from 10 to 30 by 2020. To increase the wider number of volunteers working on other Sustainable Skibbereen projects from 25 to 75.
We hope that you will find this plan useful, and will help you understand our current limitations.
There is more detail in the actual application form, which should supplement the information you need.
The Sustainable Skibbereen Bicycle Buffet will provide cyclists with a wonderful journey around Skibbereen while enjoying four sumptious courses of beautfully prepared local ingredients. One of the few events in the festival that leaves you fitter as well as well fed!
How it works: On arrival, enjoy a ‘mocktail’ made from incredible local edibles. Then mount your bicycle* and ride to two mystery locations where pop up food vendors will supply delicious food using the finest local ingredients and incredible edible produce. Then take a leisurely cycle back to a mystery destination no 3 for an incredibly edible dessert!
Meet at Chapel Quay, North St. Skibbereen (by the civil defense building/library) 5.00pm Friday 13th Sept.
Parking is available opposite the cathedral
Part of the Taste of West Cork Food Festival 2019!
Only €25*Some bicycles available for loan. Email us to book.
