A person who bagged a bargain on Black Friday could soon be learning a harsh lesson after illegally dumping their packaging in Newtowncunningham.
A mess of styrofoam and plastic packaging – the remnants of a Black Friday electrical purchase – was discovered on the Quay Road in Newtowncunningham on Saturday last. The load of dumped material was soon identified as packaging from a new Beko tumble dryer box, bought locally in Newtown.
Dumped packaging discovered on the Quay Road in Newtowncunningham, 30th November 2019
Dumped packaging discovered on the Quay Road in Newtowncunningham, 30th November 2019
A local resident who came across the dumping contacted Donegal Daily today to share some important messages on waste.
They said: “The good news is that someone in the Newtowncunningham area got a new Beko tumble dryer bought locally, the bad news is that they disposed of the styrofoam & plastic packaging at the Quay Shore.
“I hope they read this and come back and pick it up and dispose of it properly as it will be reported and presumably the purchaser of the item can be traced and held accountable and they should know:
- Styrofoam lasts for 500 years
- Styrofoam easily breaks into small bits. Small land and aquatic animals eating these pieces die due to toxins and blockage of their stomachs leading to starvation,
- This, combined with the fact that Styrofoam is lightweight and therefore floats, means that over time a great deal of polystyrene has accumulated along coasts and waterways around the world. It is one of the main components of marine debris.
- Given its porous nature it absorbs many other carcinogenic pollutants in the sea water like DDT produced in other countries
- Much of it sinks to the bottom of the sea where it pollutes the seabed. When the fish eat toxic materials in Styrofoam and the additional pollutants it absorbs, the chemicals bioaccumulate and can harm people and birds who consume this seafood”
The dumped materials have since been reported to Donegal County Council.
