WHILE patterns of recycling across Clare County Council’s five recycling centres may be at variance in terms of usage, the council believes the recession has done more for recycling than awareness programmes or education.
In a motion submitted to the local authority’s November meeting, Councillor Pat Hayes called for an updated report into the usage of the council’s recycling centres in the past year and what effect the recycling charge had on the volume of recyclable material coming through these centres.
It emerged that centres that had increased their tonnage intake in 2009 on 2008 included Ballyduff Beg (up 476.39 tonnes), Shannon (up 488.08 tonnes) and Lisdeen Kilkee (up 211.61 tonnes), while a reduction in tonnage intake was recorded at centres in Ennis (down 427.27 tonnes) and Scariff (down 812.38 tonnes).
Councillor Hayes told the meeting, “There is great variance across the county, with some centres doing poorly and some doing better.” He believed that illegal dumping was increasing across the county and highlighted that he doubted the people of East Clare were suddenly recycling in other centres.
Responding to Councillor Hayes, director of Services for Environment and Water Services, David Timlin, said, “While Scariff has reduced, others have increased. Generally speaking, the recession has done more for recycling than awareness programmes or education. The amount of people going to bring banks is down and the volume of packaging in the country is down as there is a fall in consumption generally.”
In a formal reply to the motion, Mr Timlin said, “There has been a change in behaviour with respect to customers using the facilities.  There is a significant decrease in the number of vehicles accessing the centres on a daily basis.  However, when customers visit the centres the vehicles are full to capacity, thereby incurring one charge only. Thus, there was a lag effect after charges were introduced in February.”
He added that the council expected to collect a target of €275,000 in recycling charges this year. He said that, to date, a total of €214,237 has been received and therefore it was expected, based on current trends, that the target figure would be achieved.
He noted that the total waste intake for the five recycling centres for the January to June period of 2008 was approximately 12% higher than the total waste intake at all centres in the equivalent period in 2009. 
“Interestingly, the quantity of waste recorded at bring banks (no charge to public) showed a significant reduction of approximately 50% between January and June 2008 and the equivalent period in 2009.
“The current economic downturn has also contributed to the use of these facilities.  As there is less disposable income available, there is a reduction in the quantity of consumables being purchased, with a consequent reduction in waste, particularly packaging waste,” Mr Timlin concluded.