SKIBBEREEN Tidy Towns and waste collection business KWD have joined forces to be part of a new study.
The study was published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and conducted by the Clean Technology Centre (CTC) at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus.
With food waste contributing 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and Ireland currently off track to meet a UN goal of halving food waste at the consumer level by 2030, the research focused on actionable strategies to address this challenge.
Called ‘FoodPath – Investigating Behavioural Interventions to Reduce Food Waste in Irish Households’ it identified solutions to prevent food waste with the help of the Skibbereen stakeholders.
The research included two interventions.
The first was a household-focused approach that took place in Ennis, empowering individuals through tools, nudges, and targeted messaging delivered via local waste collectors.
This achieved a 16% reduction in food waste.
The second was a project called ‘Skibbereen taking on food waste’ which targeted the changing of social norms through community engagement involving groups like Skibbereen Tidy Towns, Cycle Sense and others.
‘Skibbereen was chosen for its relative size, the likely availability of waste data, access to pre-existing active community groups, amenable waste collectors and the provision of a small brown bin collection service,’ explained researcher Keelin Tobin, CTC.
CTC designed and created an online survey to collect data regarding attitudes and behaviours pertaining to food waste.
A separate survey saw researchers sifting through general KWD waste bins collected from Skibbereen households.
Results found that in 2022 food waste cost households in Skibbereen €600 annually, or in other words, €176,000 goes into bins annually for the entire town.
‘The Skibbereen campaign also involved a variety of projects and public awareness events, and the creation of two seasonal recipe booklets with pupils at Abbeystrewry NS, St Patrick’s Boys NS and Gaelscoil Dr Uí Shuilleabháin,’ explained Sandra Flynn from Skibbereen Tidy Towns.
She said it was a ‘no brainer’ for them to get involved in the research.
The logo, designed by Hazel Hurley.
‘People want to take positive action towards the environment, but not everyone can afford things like solar panels or an EV, and they can feel powerless to make a difference. But everyone in the country is now entitled to a brown bin and there is agency there,’ she said.
While the quantitative results of the Skibbereen research were mixed, it provided valuable insights into the potential of community-driven initiatives.
‘Considering the extent of interest in community-led food waste initiatives, this approach should be viewed as an important precursor that, along with national awareness raising, could further amplify the impacts associated with the targeted approach developed in the first intervention in Ennis,’ said Keelin.
Commenting on the report, researcher Dr Colum Gibson said: ‘Food waste is not just a national issue, but a global one, with a third of it being lost or wasted throughout the food supply and consumption chain. Our research demonstrates that tailored behavioural interventions can make a real difference in reducing food waste and supporting Ireland’s climate and sustainability goals.
‘The findings from the FoodPath project provide a roadmap for policy-makers, waste management companies, and community leaders aiming to mitigate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of food waste.’
Skibbereen Tidy Towns went on to win a ‘Pride in our Community’ award for the Muintir na Tíre Cork 2023, said Sandra.
‘And we also got a gold medal for the first time in the Tidy Towns competition in 2023, getting two extra marks in the sustainability category and the project has to have played a big role in achieving that,’ she said.
