Residents of the Marconi Avenue area in Ballybunion participated in a pilot bulky waste recycling event recently where they were invited to dispose of bulky household goods in a waste container provided by Kerry County Council. The initiative was organised to help householders get rid of large waste items in an environmentally safe manner and to raise awareness about the hazards of bulky household waste being used as fuel for bonfires over the Halloween period.
In 2016, Marconi Avenue was one of many housing estates in Kerry where a bonfire celebrating Halloween was held. Concerned residents of the estate contacted the Environment Section of Kerry County Council to see if there was anything that could be done to prevent future bonfires during which large waste items were set alight. The Environment Section of the council successfully secured funding in September from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to host a Bulky Waste Collection event under Phase II of the Anti-Dumping Initiative.
The event was a great success involving the co-operation of the Marconi Avenue Area householders, Ballybunion Tidy Towns, the Environment Section, Housing Section and Listowel Municipal District Operations of Kerry County Council and John Higgins Waste & Recycling. Many elderly residents in particular were assisted in removing large bulky items from their homes as part of this unique event. At the end of the day, two large 40 cubic yard containers of waste were taken away for recycling and disposal.
Pic L-R: Mick Boyce SEE Environment Kerry County Council, Carmel Nash (Tidy Towns), Noel Nash (Ballybunion Tidy Towns Chairman), Seamus O’Doherty (Tidy Towns), Jackie Pearce (Tidy Towns), Oonagh O’Connor, Environmental Awareness Officer Kerry County Council.
