The Truth Behind Recycling: Lessons Learned from the Tetra Pak
Recycling: The Great Green Illusion?
Right off the bat, let’s get one thing straight. Recycling is not the sustainability saviour we were promised. For decades, we have been told a lovely narrative: that recycling is the key to sustainability. We’ve been encouraged to sort our waste, rinse out our plastics, and drop our empty cartons into the right bin, believing that we’re playing our part in saving the planet. Hate to be the one to break it to you, but this whole system is flawed. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” was always meant to be a hierarchy, yet somehow, we’ve been conditioned to skip the first two and jump straight to “Recycle” like it’s a get-out-of-guilt-free card. Who’s to blame? Let’s take a quick history lesson….
 What if we told you that this narrative was designed to shift responsibility away from the real culprits—corporations and manufacturers—and onto us, the consumers? What if, instead of being the solution, recycling is actually a very cleverly marketed disguise for the...
Soft Plastics. Soft Solution.
With the news that soft plastics are now recyclable in Ireland I was left with a lot of questions.Â
Firstly, when is my waste company going to let me know about these changes and what I need to do to segregate properly by their guidelines?
Can I start segregating soft plastic in my home bins today?Â
Also, how is it now possible and how is this plastic going to be used?Â
Whilst I welcome the news, I fear that it may now be used as a license to keep using plastic rather than reducing our dependence on it.Â
When I looked for more information online, I found that 83% of recyclable material collected in Ireland is currently exported, including all cardboard, paper and plastic. We are creating way more waste than our country waste management systems can deal with – should we be ok with this? I think not. Reduction should be the very thing we are doing. Starting today.
In 2018 data showed that Ireland generated approximately 264,000 tonnes of plastic and only recycled 82,000. There ...
Was recycling the biggest swindle of the past 20 years?
Prenote: I am not saying Recycling is a bad thing, but our current main stream systems of recycling have failed us.
In July 2019 The Guardian shared an article titled “Humans have made 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic since 1950” If you missed it the link is at the end of this blog.
The Current Situation
The article stated that up until then we had no idea how much plastic we had created and now that we know, the picture is not pretty. 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic has been created from 1950 to 2015, that is a terrifying statistic. It is the equivalent to the weight of 1 Billion elephants!
However the worst element of this, is that only 30% of the plastic created is still in use. The rest has been disposed of in three ways: 79% is in our landfills and environment, 12% has been incinerated and only 9% has been recycled. Amongst all this dismal data, what really got me thinking, is that half of the amount of plastic generated since 1950, was actually made in the last 15...
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Who We Are: Fifty Shades Greener
Sustainability with a side of sass!
At Fifty Shades Greener, we’re not your typical sustainability crowd. Here, green isn’t just a color; it’s a lifestyle, and we live it with a bit of cheek and a lot of heart. Our team, a quirky blend of lifelong greenies, seasoned educators, and fresh innovators, believes that every little bit helps and that education is the cornerstone of sustainable change. Born from a simple idea in a hotel’s green team meeting, we've grown into a vibrant community passionate about turning the hospitality world a shade greener. We think greenwashing is as outdated as last season's fashion and are here to ensure sustainability is as authentic as it is actionable. From the early days in Doolin to the bustling workshops of today, our journey has been about making sustainability accessible, understandable, and, dare we say, fun. We don't just throw jargon around; we break it down with practical advice and real-world actions that everyone, from hotel managers to cafe owners, can take. So, whether you’re looking to start your green journey or you're trying to make your business a beacon of sustainability, we’ve got the know-how and the can-do attitude to help you make it happen. And while we’re serious about what we do, we believe a little humor goes a long way. After all, if you can’t have a laugh while saving the planet, when can you? Join us as we continue to write our story, one green step at a time. Here’s to making sustainability not just a necessity, but a norm. Ready to add a little green to your scene? Dive in—the water’s fine, and it’s getting greener by the minute!
