Caroline Goucher from Westport Eco-Congregation provided ECI with the following report of this very successful and inspiring event:
On Monday 2nd of October, Westport Eco-Congregation were delighted to host our first Zero Waste event, presented by local teacher Roisin Brady, who captured the hearts and minds of a fascinated audience over 150 in Westport Town Hall. Roisin has been limiting the creation of waste in her house of 3 adults, 2 children and 4 pets for the past 20 months by creating a jam jar of waste every month. The photos to the right show Westport Eco-Congregation committee members with speakers from the Zero Waste presentation with Roisin Bradys Display of Zero Waste solution.
Roisin’s Top 4 Tips:
- Plastic bags – use reusable shopping bags, buy loose fruit and veg,
- Plastic drinks bottles – use reusable bottles, aluminium cans
- Coffee/tea cups – use a keep cup, ask for a real cup
- Drinking straws – just say no!
All members of Westport Eco-Congregation were in awe of how every aspect of Roisin’s life had the premise to refuse plastic at the point of purchase. Eithna Larkin, of Westport Tidy Towns, on the back of their successful week of achievements, stated that the presentation was Inspirational. If each person enacted one of the key points and builds on that simple action it would have an amazing effect. Roisin’s simple tips guide us so that we are not overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Zero Waste journey.
Fr.Charlie McDonnell was in attendance, his reflection on the night was: Roisins presentation was certainly an eye opener, not just to all that can be achieved, but more frighteningly to all that we are avoiding or ignoring. In not at least working in some way towards ‘Zero Waste’, we are deeply culpable in the damage being done to the inheritance of future generations. It also strikes me that becoming more environmentally active we are ultimately becoming richer in absolutely every sense of the word. Pope Francis continues to open our eyes to the value of God’s Creation as well as to the destruction we are so selfishly imposing on it. It’s up to us to open our minds, our hearts and indeed our arms in order to actively respond, as one who is embarrassingly far behind on this journey. A realisation of moving forward in any way is important even if the steps are small. Roisin presented us with an ideal to aspire to, hopefully we can at least move, even in small ways towards that ideal so that eventually it may become for us both individually and as community a true, real, lasting and effective movement.
Mayo County Council is delighted to support Westport’s Eco-Congregation ‘Zero Waste at Home’ workshop. Roisin Brady was an excellent presenter with her practical and down to earth advice on how we can all make simple changes in our home to reduce waste. The event which is part of a series of events for the Season of Creation was very timely as it took place during National Reuse Month. The aim of National Reuse Month is to raise awareness to how many disposable items we use in our lives and to encourage us to move away from being a throw-away society.
The event was funded by Mayo County Council and WESCo and run by Westport Eco-Congregation. The photos are by photographer Stephane Breton. Westport Eco-Congregation is on Facebook.
Zero Waste Presenters and Eco Congregation committee L to R: Fr.Charlie McDonnell, Caroline Goucher, Roisin Brady Zero Waste Presenter, Sharon Cameron Mayo County Council, Kathleen Friel, Brid McAuley, Eithna Larkin Tidy Towns, Kevin Barrett and Fr.Patrick Burke
Local teacher and Zero Waste Inspiration, Roisin Brady presenting her one small jar of waste from one month, from a house of 3 adults, 2 children and 4 pets