No pumpkins in sight: how the Irish celebrated Samhain long before Halloween
No pumpkins in sight: how the Irish celebrated Samhain long before Halloween

Erin Lindsay

‘My experience as an Olympian has taught me how to sacrifice short-term fun for long-term fulfilment’
‘My experience as an Olympian has taught me how to sacrifice short-term fun for long-term...

IMAGE

A seafront Skerries home has been given a luxe update with rich colours and hotel-inspired details
A seafront Skerries home has been given a luxe update with rich colours and hotel-inspired...

Megan Burns

Every entrepreneur has a lightbulb moment . . .
Every entrepreneur has a lightbulb moment . . .

Leonie Corcoran

Qbanaa: ‘A career in music is like a start-up business — you can lose a lot at the beginning’
Qbanaa: ‘A career in music is like a start-up business — you can lose a...

Sarah Gill

My Career: Founder of the AI Institute Maryrose Lyons
My Career: Founder of the AI Institute Maryrose Lyons

Sarah Finnan

Galaxy gazing: This is the future of AI
Galaxy gazing: This is the future of AI

Lizzie Gore-Grimes

Step inside textile artist Nicola Henley’s dreamy Co. Clare farmhouse
Step inside textile artist Nicola Henley’s dreamy Co. Clare farmhouse

Marie Kelly

9 of the best events happening this bank holiday weekend
9 of the best events happening this bank holiday weekend

Sarah Gill

IMAGE Active: Connect, Move & Thrive with Aoibhinn Raleigh & Vilte Jankunaite
IMAGE Active: Connect, Move & Thrive with Aoibhinn Raleigh & Vilte Jankunaite

IMAGE

Image / Editorial

Fingal County Council rolls out drinking fountains to reduce plastic pollution


By Grace McGettigan
05th Nov 2018
Fingal County Council rolls out drinking fountains to reduce plastic pollution

Every minute, one million plastic water bottles are purchased and disposed of around the world.

While many of these bottles are sent to recycling centres, many others are added to growing litter piles on beaches and in public parks. With plastic pollution impacting our natural environment and marine life, councils in Dublin have decided it’s time to take preventative action.

Related: Eight ways to break up with plastic

Earlier this year, Green Party councillor David Healy proposed the installation of drinking water fountains across the capital; explaining plastic waste can be reduced by giving people the option to refill their reusable water bottles.

He said, “Beach cleaning volunteers and council staff in Sutton, Howth, Portmarnock and Malahide consistently find plastic bottles are a major part of the litter on beaches. We hope that providing drinking water will be a small contribution towards reducing this waste.”

The first of these water fountains has already been installed by Fingal County Council at the junction of Harbour Road and Abbey Road in Howth; while a second one is expected to be installed at Malahide Demesne shortly. According to the journal.ie, Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council also plan to roll out the fountains for their respective communities.

The fountains are being installed with the help of Refill Ireland, a voluntary environmental project dedicated to reducing single-use plastic. Their clever tap-shaped design allows people to drink from the fountain directly, or to fill up their bottle while on-the-go.

Photo via Refill Ireland on Facebook

Councillor Healy said this is just a small step towards reducing plastic waste in Dublin; adding, “Of course a national deposit and return system for plastic bottles is essential.”

Related:

  • Irish birds are using plastic to build their nests as pollution worsens… click here.
  • 24-year-old launches project to clean 50,000 tonnes of plastic from Pacific Ocean… click here.