TODAY MARKS the official end of Christmas, and the lights on up to one million Christmas trees sold in Ireland in December will be turned off for the last time.
Many of the trees will be taken to recycling centres, but more will be dumped in a less eco-friendly fashion. Irish households have become much better at recycling their trees over the last decade and the number of facilities where they are accepted at no cost has increased significantly.
There is no national policy for tree recycling, and it is left to individual councils to manage collection and work out the ways to best reuse the finished product. Some councils have opened dozens of bring centres. Others have no official recycling collection points.
Dublin City Council expects to collect about 25,000 trees this year, with most set to end up fertilising grass and shrubs in gardens. Bord Na Móna, which takes the trees, mulches them and blends them with peat and the mixture is then sold on the British market.
Cork City Council turns trees it collects into compost for the city’s parks and green areas, as does Limerick City Council.
Other Christmas detritus will also be handled in in coming weeks. Croke Park is offering a number of facilities for waste collection in the local community and has set up a collection point for trees, cardboard packaging and electrical goods.
According to recycling organisation Repak, Irish households generated around 80,000 tonnes of used packaging over the festive season, and it aims to collect and recycle 45 per cent of this.
WHERE TO DISPOSE OF YOURS:
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
Up to January 20th
Windmill Road Bring Centre, Crumlin, Dublin 12;
Gulistan Terrace Bring Centre, Rathmines, Dublin 6;
Oscar Traynor Road Bring Centre, Coolock, Dublin 5;
Pigeon House Road Recycling Centre, Ringsend, Dublin 4;
Stanley Street Depot (off Brunswick Street), Dublin 7 (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm);
WEEE Retailer Recycling Centre, Kylemore Park West, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm);
Milltown car park, Milltown Road, Dublin 6;
Poddle Park, Kimmage, Dublin 6;
Sandymount – car park at Martello Tower, Strand Road, Dublin 4;
car park on Clontarf Road beside the former Traffic School;
Albert College car park, Glasnevin, Dublin 9;
Mellowes Parks Depot – beside Dublin City Council Civic Centre on Mellowes Road, Finglas (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm Sat-Sun 10am-4pm);
Walkinstown Green – at church, Bunting Park, Dublin 12;
Croke Park (via St Josephs Avenue). WEEE domestic cardboard recycling also available up to January 20th only
DÚN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL
Up to January 16th
Blackrock Park Main Entrance;
Cabinteely Park car park;
Killiney Hill car park;
Marley Park, Grange Road car park;
Mount Anville Parks Depot, Goatstown;
Shanganagh Recycling Centre car park;
West Pier car park, Dún Laoghaire
FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL
Up to January 13th
Bath Road car park, Balbriggan;
South Strand Lay-By, Skerries;
Hayestown Depot, Rush;
Ball Alley car park, Lusk;
Outlands Parks Depot, Rathbeale Road, Swords;
Estuary Recycling Centre;
The Square, Donabate;
The Brook, Portrane;
Santry Demesne car park;
Charlestown Open Space, Charlestown;
Public car park, Strand Road, Portmarnock;
Kinsealy Court, Kinsealy;
The Banks car park, Malahide;
Seagrange Park, Baldoyle;
Sutton Park, Sutton;
Harbour car park, Howth;
Auburn Avenue/Castleknock Park open space;
Carpenterstown Park East, Castleknock;
Corduff Park, Blanchardstown;
Hartstown Park car park;
Millennium Park, Coolmine car park;
Littlepace Park, Castaheany, Clonee
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Up to January 15th
Lucan: Beechpark open space; Sarsfield Park open space; Hayden’s Lane car park in Griffeen Valley (to replace the Green Waste Facility at Esker)
Palmerstown: Glenaulin Park;
Clondalkin: Corkagh Park (St Johns Road entrance car park); Corkagh Park (Green Isle car park at Caravan Park entrance); Collinstown Park; Quarryvale Park; Foxdene open space; Foxborough Park open space; Grand Canal Park (junction Bawnogue and Lockview Road)
Saggart: Park’s Depot on Mill Lane;
Tallaght: Raheen Open Space (Opposite Raheen Shopping Centre);
Seán Walsh Park – storage area (behind Old Bawn Community College) near Parks Depot off Whitestown Way; Greenhills; Tymon Park – Limekiln car park; Tymon Park – Tymon North Road car park
Templeogue: Tymon Park – Willington car park; Old Bawn; Aylesbury open space (beside shopping centre)
Firhouse: car park at Cherryfield (off the link road between Firhouse Road and Spawell Roundabout
Rathfarnham: Rathfarnham Castle Park – car park
GALWAY CITY
Up to January 14th
Ballyloughnane, Renmore – (beside beach);
Cluain Fada – (City Council Depot);
Grattan Road Beach – (beside the beach);
Laurel Park, Newcastle - (beside playing pitches);
Hunters – Barna Road – (City Council Depot);
Mervue – (on open space off McHugh Avenue)
CORK CITY
Up to January 31st
Civic Amenity Recycling Centre, Kinsale Road;
Parks Depot, Togher (adjacent to Clasduv Park);
Ballinlough Park (adjacent to Gus Healy Swimming Pool);
Skehard Road (Playground between old Cliffe and Kilbrack Lawn);
Green at junction of Ringmahon Road and Castle Road;
Glen Amenity Park;
Green at Junction of Murmont Road and Iona Road, Montenotte;
Green adjacent to Tinkers Cross traffic lights;
Green adjacent to Sam Allen Sports Complex, Knockfree Avenue, Gurranabraher;
Green in front of new reservoir on Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny;
Parks Depot, Fairhill;
Kennedy Park, Victoria Road;
Lee Fields at bottle bank site, Carrigrohane Road.
WATERFORD CITY COUNCIL
Up to mid-January
The Civic Amenity site, Dungarvan
KILDARE
Silliot Hill, Kilcullen;
Gallows Hill, Athy;
Council Nursery Naas Road, Newbridge;
Council Depot, Leinster Street, Maynooth;
Clane GAA club, Prosperous Road, Clane
LIMERICK CITY
Friday January 7th
Park Road Depot;
Saturday, January 8th
Spar Complex car park;
Saturday, January 15th
Park Road Depot;
Saturday, January 22nd
Childers Road (near Our Lady of Lourdes Church)
