Sustainable Waste and Resource Management

A number of buildings in Tullamore have been acknowledged for their achievement of high standards in sustainable resource management.

Of particular note are Colaiste Choilm, the Tullamore Court Hotel and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada among others.

Coláiste Choilm, are holders of Green Building Award
The school is the first A2 rated and most airtight school in Ireland. It has :

  • a total annual energy use of only 57kWh/m2/yr while offering notably improved air quality
  • a carbon impact reduction of approximately 40% relative to current standards
  • an average U-Value 50% below current building standards
  • a water consumption 65% lower than a typical school, with 90% of flushed water recovered from rainwater

The design was developed to maximize passive sustainable features in collaboration with Building Design Partnership (BDP Engineers). The narrow plan, orientation, disposition of uses, natural ventilation throughout, high levels of daylight, use of thermal mass and low air permeability contributed to the sustainable design. Rainwater is harvested and energy systems, are monitored through the building management system.

The Tullamore Court Hotel has been recognised under the Green Hospitality Programme for the significant reduction in energy costs it achieved through the replacement of LPG by a combined heat and power unit resulting in annual energy savings of €70k and reducing CO2 by 507 tonnes per year.

Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada received Business Services and Sustainable Energy Ireland awards for its innovative energy conservation and sustainability.

  • In this Energy-saving primary school of the future passive solar methods were used to maximise heat and light inputs and minimise energy outputs, with windows arranged to catch morning sun.
  • The eight-classroom design included natural ventilation, rainwater recovery and an advanced carbon-neutral heating system.
  • The building has achieved:
    • energy reductions of more than 80%, compared to similar schools built to current standards
    • zero CO2 emissions

Under the Smarter Travel Initiative 4km of new cycle lanes extending from the Railway Station, along Srah Road, Srah Avenue and Collins lane to the Ardan Road have been created.

The routes connect the residential areas of the north and west Tullamore, including the estates of Ballin Ri, Eiscir Meadows, Carraig Cluain with three schools, the railway station and the town park.

  • 23 cycle stands have been erected in O Connor Square, Market Square, the Town Park and other town centre locations.

Summary of projects undertaken for this year –

  • Greener Globe from Tullamore College, Co. Offaly beat off competition from Nigeria, South Africa and the USA to win the top award in the Social Enterprise Business category of the SAGE World Cup 2014 (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship).
    • Their water conservation enterprise battles to reduce water wastage through two innovative products which they are currently marketing and selling to homes, businesses and farms.
    • Their Water Leak Detection System for domestic, industrial and agricultural use notifies the land owner or occupier that a leak is present and identifies the source of the problem so that leaks do not go unnoticed for large periods of time.
    • Their ‘Aqua Cica’ shower head encourages users to reduce water wastage by taking shorter showers. The integrated timed LED lights follow a traffic light system of green, amber and red with the shower head changing colour the longer the user has been in the shower.
    • They are hoping to extend their business to the UK and beyond in the coming year.

 

  • Tullamore College Greener Globe Team in Moscow

 

  • Scoil Bhride are actively pursuing smart travel initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption including “walk to school”, car pooling, “park n stride” and cycling.
    • Each week in school the class attaining the highest percentage of sustainable ways of travelling to school receives the “Golden Boot Award”

Sustainable waste and resource management
Download the Tidy Towns Sustainable Waste Resource Management PDF


Before you bin it - Can it be fixed?
Many households resort to throwing away items which, with the right expertise, could easily be repaired.
Opting to have your goods repaired is not only the eco-friendly choice but also saves money.
As part of the Sustainable Waste and Resource Management aspect of the Tidy Towns competition, we have compiled an index of the many repair services available both in Tullamore and in the wider Offaly area.
Follow the link below for a list of services including electrical,bicycle,computer,domestic appliance, garden equipment, computer, musical instrument, glass, clothing and shoe repairs.

If you offer a repair service and would like to see it listed, please let us know.

Index of repair services in Offaly area


Say 'No' to Junk Mail
Does your junk mail go directly to the recycling bin?
If you're tired of receiving wasteful and unsolicited material in the post, use the link below to contact the I.D.M.A. (Interactive Direct Marketing Association) and remove your name from direct mailing lists.
say 'No' to junk mail

Reduce Food Waste in the Home
Tips on reducing food waste in your home - and saving money to boot!
Did you know that the average household throws away on average €700 worth of food each year? Follow the link below to find out how you can make both monetary and environmental savings.

stop food waste.ie
Discover how to give away and receive goods for free
The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,097 groups with 9,333,104 members around the world. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.
visit freecycle.org

JumbleTown is a virtual Market Place for anyone looking to give away and/or acquire literally thousands of useful items. JumbleTown simply brings ‘Givers’ and ‘Takers’ together. It also promotes the practice of ‘life-cycling’, which is all about ensuring that the life-cycle or usefulness of an item is completed before it is recycled or discarded
visit jumbletown.ie
 

FreeTrade Ireland is a web service designed to facilitate and encourage the reuse of household and business items.
visit Freetrade Ireland

Reduce energy waste - Leave your car at home and take the train / bus
Save valuable energy resources by using the train or bus when practicable. The following links provide time-tables for the daily bus service between Coolaney and Sligo as well inter-city services by Irish Rail and Bus Éireann.
Coolaney-Sligo Bus Service
Irish Rail
Bus Éireann

Recycle your Christmas tree and Lights this year
Dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way. See details of the Tullamore Composting Facility and the Green Star Civic Amenity Centre.