Local authorities in Dublin are to begin a recycling service for residents of apartment blocks in the capital.
Newspapers, magazines, boxes, tins, cans and milk or juice cartons will be accepted by four local authorities in the coming months.
South Dublin County Council has already distributed recycling eurobins to almost 100 apartment complexes, while Dublin City Council has also started delivering the bins to 1,300 apartment complexes and plans to have completed the roll-out early in the New Year.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council are also introducing a recycling collection for apartments in early 2005.
Materials from the bins will be separated into individual waste streams and baled by Oxigen Environmental Services in Dublin before being shipped abroad for recycling.
The majority of magazines and newspapers are sent to Shotton Paper Mills in Wales where they are repulped and manufactured back into newsprint, currently used by The Irish Times and Independent Newspapers.
The majority of aluminium drinks cans are sent to Alcan in Warrington where they are re-smelted into aluminium ingots. Steel from food cans is sent to AMG Castings in England where it is used in the manufacture of tin and aluminium packaging.
Tetra Pak cartons are sent to Smith Anderson Paper Mills in Scotland where they are turned into paper products such as envelopes and bags.
