It’s time to re-think our recycling policy
By Deputy Features Editor Oisín Henebery
Each year, as the Boole fills with students desperately searching for redemption for their missed lectures, the same problem arises. It is in spite of UCC’s pedigree as one of the greenest universities in the world. The problem? Bins. Piled high, like mountains rising from multi-coloured bases, cans and bottles, glasses and plastics, overflow our bins. Monster, Red Bull, Coke Cola, and coffee cups all create a meadow of plastic, paper, and aluminium, braced for the ordeal of disposal. Now it is understandable that students can be forgiven for focusing more on menacing maths exams and looming law exams rather than sustainable recycling; however, what bugs me is the lack of infrastructure in place which would eliminate this problem of unnecessary waste and ensure proper recycling practices.
Over the summer, I spent some time in Tübingen, a university city in the South-West of Germany. Although home to one of Germany’s oldest universities, it has implemented modern schemes set to cut the amount of glass, plastic, and aluminium, wasted. More importantly, its plans aim to ensure the proper management of these materials.
And the ideas are very simple. One of these is that cafés in the city must offer what is called a “re-cup”, a reusable plastic cup which each student and citizen can then return to the next café they visit. The cost of the cup is 1 euro, but this money is returned when the cup is returned. Building on this, restaurants must offer a “re-bowl”, at a cost of five euros, which can also then be re-obtained. The city-wide approach, involving all restaurants and cafés, means that returning the cups and bowls is a matter of routine. And the alternative to these reimbursable cups and bowls? Heavily taxed disposable containers which make the reusable option the obvious one. Green reusable cups are stacked in every café, and it has become normal practice for coffee to be served in these. The consequence of this policy has been a colossal reduction in disposable cup waste.
Tübingen does not stop here, however. Not only has waste been greatly reduced, but a new recycling plan ensures that all bottles, glasses, and cans are recycled correctly. Again, the idea is straightforward. Each glass bottle, plastic container, and aluminium can is now accompanied by an extra charge attached. Although not high, it is not inconsiderable. The charge can be redeemed, however, by returning the bottle, can, or glass, to machines located across the city. These machines will eat up the bottles and offer a receipt for their value. This receipt can then be cashed at supermarkets within the city. Residents are thus incentivised to return their waste, and all the containers are disposed of correctly. What is more, common practice now is that those who may be suffering from homelessness often search out those with empty bottles, which helps to keep streets clean, but more importantly means money going to those in need. Recent jaunts around Cork city really tell all that we need to know about a call to tidy our streets. Strewn across the city, from main avenues to side streets, empty cans and bottles blight what should otherwise be handsome and hygienic grounds. Not only is putting these bottles in the bin important, but we must also put them in the correct one.
Both of these ideas seem simple, I can confirm that they are. After three days, returning your cup or bottle becomes a habitual practice. And everybody participates. There should not be bins piled high with waste, it is environmentally damaging and logistically foolish. Every step we can take, especially easy ones, should be deployed to reduce our campus’ waste. Not only should this be applied to UCC; however, what the Tübingen model proves is that university ideas can translate in the surrounding city. Ideas such as the re-cup, re-bowl and refund machine would contribute to making UCC and Cork greener, and if not, well then at least the reminders of the sickly number of caffeine drinks we consume would not be laid bare before us when we study.
