5th January 2002

PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALL FOR PROPER FRIDGE RECYCLING 

The Green Party has called on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council to provide additional recycling facilities for fridges. From the 1st of January 2002 there has been an obligation on Local Authorities to provide proper recycling for fridges. Ballyogan Tip head is currently the only location within Dún Laoghaire Rathdown that accepts fridges.

“Fridges can cause severe damage to the environment,” explained Green party Councillor Ciarán Cuffe. “Apart from causing an eyesore if dumped indiscriminately they are also one of the main sources of damage to the Ozone Layer. The chemical Freon, contained within the refrigeration circuit is the main offender but the insulating foam also causes problems.

“We are calling on the Council to provide more recycling locations for fridges; publicise the fact that the Ballyogan Tip head accepts fridges and lobby Government to provide a recycling plant in Ireland for such goods.

“Any fridges being collected are sent to Germany by a company called Cara Technology in Clonskeagh for recycling. We should provide a recycling facility in Ireland to extract the CFC’s, and remove the insulation foam and metal. This would create jobs and reduce costs.

“Up to 300,000 fridges are disposed of annually in Ireland and we fear that many of them are being dumped illegally in the countryside or are sent straight to landfill without the CFC’s being removed.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

Ciarán Cuffe     087 265 2075 or 618 3082