April 2023

Moving Day Tips: Disposing of Rubbish When Moving Out of Your Student Accommodation

Moving Day Tips Barna Recycling

As the exams season and the academic year draw to an end, students are getting ready to head back home for the summer months. However, we at Barna Recycling know that moving in and out of rented student accommodation can be a daunting task. Students often bring back unnecessary items and waste that will never be used again. To avoid this, it’s advisable to do a complete clear-out of your student accommodation before leaving.

We understand that disposing of rubbish can be confusing, especially if you’re unsure of the correct methods. Additionally, figuring out what to do with books, exam papers, and notes you no longer need can also be challenging. You might also be wondering how to dispose of cans, glass bottles, traffic cones, election posters, and other items you may have collected throughout the year. So, instead of bringing all the waste back home in your car, why not do a complete clear-out of your student accommodation? You’ll be surprised how much clutter you can accumulate over the academic year.

To make your moving day hassle-free, we have compiled some of our top tips and tricks for students and parents. These tips will not only help you dispose of your waste properly but also make the process quicker and more efficient. With our tips and tricks, you’ll be able to dispose of everything in an eco-friendly way and ensure a smooth and stress-free moving day.

 

How can I dispose of my rubbish?

When moving out of your rental accommodation, it is difficult to know which waste items from your home clear out would go into your usual waste bins and what shouldn’t. You want to leave the property as clean as possible as it was when you moved in. This Newsletter will provide valuable tips and tricks for students and parents.

 

Moving Day Tips For Students

Disposing of old books & papers: If you have old college books in good condition, you can donate them to the college library or request the student’s union to sell them on your behalf. Alternatively, you can pass them on to someone who has signed up to do the same course/subject in the upcoming academic year. If the books can’t be reused, you can put old books in your recycling bin.

Glass Bottles: If you need to dispose of glass bottles, visit your nearest bottle bank. However, make sure they are washed, dried, and separated into brown, clear or green glass.

Cans: once washed can go in your recycling bin too.

Clothes, Bedding & Mattresses: Any type of old clothing, footwear, or textiles, including blankets in unusable condition, can be brought to your local civic amenity sites to be disposed of at a reduced rate. Alternatively, clothes in usable condition that you no longer want can be given to siblings or friends, brought to a charity shop or your nearest clothes bank.

Electronic Waste Disposal: You can bring unwanted electrical waste, more commonly known as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), such as Computers, Monitors, Mobile Phones, Electronic Toys, Game consoles, Speakers, Headphones and electrical appliances to your local amenity site to dispose of it free of charge. Check out our blog to find out more about disposing of WEEE items.

Kitchen Items: If you have kitchen items that are in good condition but do not need to be kept, a charity shop would only be delighted to receive them.

 

How Parents Can Help

  • If helping clear out their student accommodation, come prepared with a bucket load of patience, rubber gloves, cleaning items and black bags.
  • Help them to decide what items they want to keep and what needs to be thrown out.
  • Have a rubbish bag prepared for general waste and one for recycling.
  • Try and decide what they want to do with the bulky items first, such as bedclothes, pots and pans, kettles etc. If they are being dumped or recycled, it will save quite a bit of space in the car. If they are being kept, then it will help them to see that there is little room left in the car and to be stricter about what they are keeping.
  • Encourage them to go through clothes and dump anything that is well-worn or has holes in it (provided it’s not the good jeans with rips at the knees!)
  • To make the process fast and efficient, while the student is sorting through their room, you could be packing up items in the kitchen and cleaning out their presses.
  • Encourage them to recycle or sell any old books, notes, clothes, or other useful items, such as a bike, before the moving-out date.
  • If the kitchen items are in good condition but do not need to be kept, a charity shop would only be delighted to receive them.
  • Many charities often have collection points or van pickups at universities, so make sure to ask or enquire about these services if suitable.

 

Take Advantage of Your Local Civic Amenity Site

Barna Recycling’s purpose-built Civic Amenity Sites will assist you greatly when moving out of your home. We have seven civic amenity sites across Connacht for your convenience, where you can dispose of a large variety of non-hazardous and recyclable household waste at a reduced cost. Visit our website to find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located.

 Here are some of the benefits of using one of our civic amenity sites:

  • They are cost-effective and cheap to use.
  • Accept a wide range of items, including hazardous materials.
  • They are clean, local, and easily accessible.
  • Open on weekends to make them more accessible to all.
  • They are well laid out and marked for each waste material.
  • Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.
  • Provide WEEE and Glass Bottle services free of charge.
  • Cater for small and large deliveries in the exact location.

The items accepted will vary for each of our civic amenity sites. Please be sure to call in advance or check our website for the complete list of items accepted at your nearest centre. The charges for the items you bring to the respective civic amenity centre will be based on the type of vehicle you have, not the quantity or weight of the waste items themselves.

Our Barna Recycling team are always on hand at our civic amenity sites to greet you on arrival, assist you with drop-offs, and provide you with advice and information about recycling and waste disposal.

Alternatively, you can choose to hire a skip, which also makes throwing away rubbish much quicker and easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes for all purposes, so you can be sure we will have one to suit your needs and requirements– have a look at our helpful skip sizing guide for more information.

 

Don’t let unnecessary waste and clutter bog you down during your move. Let us help you make your moving day a breeze with our expert advice and guidance. If you would like more information on where to dispose of certain items or order a skip, give us a call today on 091 771619.

What Can Be Put In A General Waste Bin?

Spring has finally come, and we can’t wait for the first glimpses of summer. If you are like us, you would agree when we say now is the perfect time to declutter and organise your homes inside out for the summer months. However, as you declutter your home, you might often wonder which waste items from your home clear out can be put in a general waste bin and which items cannot.

To help you get your home ready for summer, we have outlined a few tips and key information about what goes in the general waste bin. We have also outlined where to dispose of items that can’t be put in a general waste bin and how to dispose of other more oversized items that won’t fit in your household bins.

 

What Goes Into Your General Waste Bins

Generally, the black bin is for any waste items that you CANNOT put into your recycling or organic bins, such as:

  • Nappies
  • Ashes (Must be cooled and tied in a bag to reduce the risk of fire and dirtying the bins)
  • Tin Foil
  • Aero board
  • Contaminated & Wet Paper
  • Non-recyclable plastic
  • Food wrappers

It’s also important to remember NOT to include any kind of liquids in your general waste bin and ensure you separate the packaging to segregate out the food waste and recyclable materials such as envelopes, milk cartons, and newspapers. This way, you are saving costs, maximising space, and making sure that you are not overloading your general waste bin.

The waste in your black bin is collected by Barna Recycling and processed to recover any recyclables. The remaining non-recyclable fraction is then sent for landfill disposal with energy recovery.

 

Items Not To Go Into Your General Waste Bin

  • Paint cans – You can bring them to a local Civic Amenity Site
  • Clothes – Clothes can’t go in your waste bin but can be brought to a clothes bank or charity shop.
  • IT equipment and electrical goods – More commonly referred to as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), all electrical goods retailers must be registered as a producer of WEEE and will take back your old electrical equipment free of charge when you buy new goods.
  • Batteries – You can bring used batteries back to shops. Many supermarkets have drop off points to recycle batteries.
  • Glass – Should be washed and brought to your nearest bottle bank.
  • Duvets – Can’t be disposed of in your waste bin, but they can be brought to your local Civic Amenity Site.
  • Bulky waste items – Old furniture, couches, mattresses, tables, and large household appliances that have seen the end of its useable life can be brought to a local civic amenity site near you.

 

Disposing Of Large Items That Can’t Be Put In Your General Waste Bin

Hiring a Skip

You can consider hiring a skip for larger items that can’t be disposed of in your general waste bin, which makes decluttering your homes much easier. At Barna Recycling, we have skips of all sizes, so you can be sure we’ll have one to suit your needs and the space available to you – check out our handy skip sizing guide here.

 

Benefits of hiring a Skip

Here are top 3 benefits of hiring a Skip to dispose of large items:

  • You can keep the skip as long as you require it.
  • You have the convenience of not having to take large, awkward items in your car to the Civic Amenity Site.
  • If you are a Barna Recycling customer, you can get a discount if you order a skip from us. All you need is to have your Barna Recycling Account number handy.

 

Items that can’t go in a skip are as follows:

  • Hazardous Waste: A significant rule that is often forgotten is that hazardous waste should not go in a skip. It can leak and contaminate other recyclable materials.
  • Asbestos: If you come across asbestos during a renovation project or a home clear out, this must be dealt with by a team of specialists and not put into a general skip.
  • Appliances: Other items that we find cause great confusion is around electrical items, especially large household items. Refrigerators, freezers, microwaves & cookers should not go in a skip but instead be brought to a Civic Amenity Site.
  • Oil or paint cans & Tyres
  • Solvents, fuels and batteries
  • Chemicals, flammable materials
  • Household waste includes food scraps, soiled nappies, and sanitary items.
  • Liquid Concrete

 

Find out where your nearest recycling centres might be located. If you have any questions on skip hire, do not hesitate to contact a member of our skip hire team at 091 771619.