Blog
From Displacement to Purpose: My Dissertation Journey
This blog is written by Olena Larionova, a member of Zero Waste Alliance Ireland. Olena recently completed her dissertation at Trinity College Dublin and joined ZWAI in 2025. This dissertation was never just an academic requirement. Long before I knew the word sustainability, I was already drawn to its meaning. I cared about nature, responsibility, and…
The IEN Winter Conference
On 27 November 2025, we were delighted to hear about the Winter Conference being organised by the Irish Environmental Network (IEN), to which all IEN members and Public Participation Network (PPN) members were invited. The intention of IEN was that it would provide an opportunity for national and local groups from across the country to…
My Time as an Intern at ZWAI
What did I learn and why I recommend that you to do an internship as well. Hi all! I’m Janine from Germany and I’m currently studying Sustainable Development in Bochum, focusing on our build environment and transport. From November to December I was in Ireland doing my full-time internship with the eNGO Zero Waste Alliance…
Raise Your Voice at the Climate Justice March Tomorrow in Dublin
Tomorrow, we’ll be gathering at 1pm in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, to stand together for climate justice and demand that the Government finally put people before big polluters. Everyone deserves a warm, affordable home. Everyone deserves clean air, reliable public transport, and protection from the growing risks of floods, storms and other climate fuelled…
World Environment Day 2025: Can Ireland’s Festivals Go Zero Waste?
Post by ZWAI member Karolina Osak With festival season kicking off across Ireland, thousands of us will be getting ready to head off for weekends of music, connection, and celebration. From the fields of Stradbally at Electric Picnic to the forests of Curraghmore Estate at All Together Now, music festivals are central to Irish summer…
Phosphorus, Struvite & Festivals: ZWAI at Éalú le Grá
Over the June Bank Holiday weekend, ZWAI brought our phosphorus removal and struvite production system to the vibrant and wild setting of the Éalú le Grá music festival. While the initial weather and muddy ground gave us a bit of a false start, we eventually set up in a more suitable and central location on…
ZWAI Joins the CAN EU Network!
We’re excited to share that ZWAI is now a proud member of the Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe! CAN Europe is the continent’s leading coalition working on climate and energy issues, with over 180 member organisations across 38 countries. As part of this vibrant and influential network, we’re looking forward to collaborating with climate advocates…
Are Our Hedgerows Being Misused and Wasted? A Missed Opportunity for Wildlife and the Environment
By ZWAI member Mary Rafferty Hedgerows are one of Ireland’s most important natural assets — but they are being mismanaged and underutilised. Poor cutting practices, declining traditional skills, and growing pressure to treat deadwood as fuel are combining to strip hedgerows of their true ecological value. This is not just a missed opportunity for wildlife…
WMO State of Global Climate Report
Article by ZWAI member Patrick Meighan Background The World Meteorological Organisation has released its annual State of Global Climate report for 2024. According to the WMO, “clear signs of human-induced climate change have reached new heights in 2024.” The report examined several key climate indicators, many of which reached record levels. It also highlights the…
Radio Interview: The Importance of Recycling Nitrates and Phosphorus
ZWAI’s Ollan Herr was featured on LMFM’s Late Lunch Monday show! A big thank you to Gerry Kelly for the fantastic interview and for providing a great platform to discuss one of ZWAI’s key issues—recycling nitrates and phosphorus to prevent algal blooms in lakes and rivers and reduce water pollution. At ZWAI, we are committed…
Toxic Threads: How Shein and Temu’s Cheap Fashion Is Poisoning You and Our Planet
As we all know, the appeal of ultra-fast fashion has taken the world by storm, with brands like Shein and Temu offering trendy clothing at incredibly low prices. We’ve previously discussed the environmental impact of these companies, but there’s more to the story. Beneath the surface of these fashionable bargains lies a concerning reality: Hazardous…
Wasted Opportunity: Gaps in Ireland’s New Programme for Government
Ireland’s latest Programme for Government, which has just been ratified, presents a roadmap for tackling pressing issues like waste management and promoting a circular economy. However, upon further inspection we noticed one striking omission from the document: The complete absence of figures or quantifiable targets. The commitments largely focus on maintaining existing goals, with very…
