Waste In Dublin

The Plan to deal with waste management in the Dublin region is based on EU and National Policy and Principles:

Waste Hierarchy

Waste should be treated in accordance with the management hierarchy of Prevention, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover Energy, Dispose

Precautionary Principle

Preventative action should be taken if serious risk exists

Proximity Principle

Waste should be treated or disposed of close to its source i.e. within the Dublin Region if possible

Polluter Pays Principle

The costs of Waste Management are borne by the holder of the waste

Find out more about the policy and legislation, which dictates how waste is managed in Ireland and Dublin

EU Policy and Legislation
Irish Policy and Legislation

Dublin Regional Waste Management Plan

European legislation was written into Irish law though the Waste Management Act 1996 (as amended) and it became the responsibility of the local authority to devise a waste management plan for non-hazardous waste. The four local authorities, Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Council devised a common strategy for the region. When the overall strategy was approved by the Councils, a plan was drawn up that provided the policy as to how waste will be managed in the region over the coming years.

This integrated plan, approved by the Council in 1998 requires that 59% of waste (including construction and demolition waste) generated in the region must be recycled; 25% will be thermally treated and 16% will be landfilled.

The four local authorities have achieved a lot since 1998 such as:

• The green bin service covers 350,000 households, apartments and schools.
• Reliance on landfill has been reduced from 90% in 1997 to 74% in 2004.
• 26% of household, commercial and industrial waste recycled in 2003 compared to 7% in 1997.
• 6 environmental awareness officers have been appointed.
• 22,500 home composting bins have been sold.
• 313 schools are registered in the Green Schools Programme and 59 Green Flags have been awarded to schools.

In 2004, the process of drawing up a replacement plan began. This new plan details how waste will be managed in the region from 2005-2010.

The following is an example of what is proposed in the 2005-2010 plan:

Prevention, Reuse and Repair

Proposed Actions

• Additional Awareness Officers to be appointed to target communities, businesses and schools.
• Local Authorities will implement environmental best practice in their Council offices.
• Greater co-ordination of regional messages and support for community and voluntary sector.

As well as continuing to compost and recycle as much as possible, we all need to reduce the amount of waste we produce at home, at work, at school and in the community. There are lots of simple things we can each do, such as choosing products with the least or no packaging or using a mug instead of paper / plastic /Styrofoam cups.

Recycling

In order to reach our 59% recycling target householders will need to stay motivated and enthusiastic, while the local authorities are committed to providing even more recycling services.

Proposed Actions

• The Green Bin collection service will be expanded to accept more materials.
• Additional large Recycling Centres will be provided and will accept bulky waste and priority wastes (old paints, medicines) from householders.
• Additional community recycling facilities will also be provided.
• New Bring Banks will be provided throughout Dublin City and Counties.
• Green Waste will be accepted at selected locations.
• Producers and suppliers will be required to make a significant contribution towards recycling of their products.
• The four local authorities will require all apartment blocks to provide a dry recyclables collection.
• Future housing developments must provide for recycling at the design stage.
• Ongoing and co-ordinated information campaigns will reach across all sectors of the community

Organic Waste

Organic waste (vegetable, fruit and garden waste) is the single largest component of household waste in Dublin (34%).

Proposed Actions

• Two new biological treatment facilities will be provided (e.g. composting or anaerobic digestion).
• The phased introduction of a Brown Bin system to collect household organic (vegetable, fruit and garden) waste will start in 2006.
• An organic collection service for businesses will be introduced in the next few years.
• Garden waste will be collected through Brown Bins and accepted at selected locations.

Priority / Hazardous Waste

Proposed Actions

• Recycling Centres will be upgraded to accept household hazardous waste.
• Drop off points at Recycling Parks for WEEE (waste electronic and electrical equipment) and hazardous waste generated by SMEs, including retailers, will be provided.
• Extended producer responsibility programmes will be encouraged.
• Register of former hazardous waste disposal sites will be compiled.

Incineration

A public involvement programme is ongoing for the proposed incinerator at Poolbeg. The proposed facility would create energy / heat from 25% of Dublin's municipal waste that cannot be recycled.

We are committed to reaching our 59% recycling target, putting the necessary infrastructure in place and incinerating only 25% of our waste.

Proposed Actions

• Service Provider to be appointed in 2005.
• Environmental Impact Statement to be completed and waste licence application made.
• Construction and commissioning of proposed facility in 2009-2010.

Landfill

The reliance on landfill is still high; 74% of municipal waste (775,000 tonnes) in Dublin is still landfilled annually although this is down from 90% in 1997. There will be a critical shortage of landfill space with the closure of Ballyogan Landfill in 2005, Arthurstown Landfill in 2007, and Balleally Landfill in 2008 approximately.

Proposed Actions

• Reduce reliance on landfill to only 16%.
• A new state-of-the-art landfill in Fingal is proposed to provide adequate safe disposal of residual waste.

Regulation and Enforcement

The four Dublin local authorities are now responsible for ensuring the activities of many waste management companies and all waste producers are within the law and in keeping with the goals of the Waste Management Plan. A Regional Enforcement Unit has been established by Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council to support the local authorities in their day-to-day activities.

Proposed Actions

• Increase the number of Regulation and Enforcement staff.
• Better coordination of enforcement in the region.
• The four local authorities will rigorously implement existing and additional bye laws and national legislation as tools to support objectives of the Waste Management Plan.
• More audits and spot checks of waste collection companies and permitted facilities will be carried out.
• Better compliance and reporting will be required from private companies.

Commerce and Industry

Most businesses have responded well to new waste practices and 33% of commercial and industrial waste is now recycled. However, good practice needs to become the norm and not an optional extra for companies.

Proposed Actions

• An Awareness campaign for business waste, building on the Race Against Waste, Small Change and Action at Work campaigns, will be carried out by the Dublin Local Authorities.
• Through bye laws, waste producers and collection companies will be required to segregate their waste, at source, for recycling.
• Local authorities will support the development of markets for recycled materials.
• Awareness Officers will be appointed to work with businesses.

Construction & Demolition Waste (C&D)

With 4 million tonnes of C&D waste produced in 2003, improving waste management is a major challenge to this sector, notwithstanding the progress made in the past five years.

Proposed Actions

• C&D Waste Management Plans will be required to be drawn up at the planning stage for significant projects.
• Graduated charges to provide incentives for better site practices will be introduced.
• Local Authorities will assess C&D waste plans and monitor site activities.
• Additional C&D recycling facilities will be provided in the Region.

Monitoring the Waste Management Plan

In order to know whether we have been successful in implementing the Waste Management Plan we need to be able to measure achievements and performance. To that end, the four Dublin local authorities will prepare an Annual Report and stakeholders will be invited to comment. This should ensure two-way communication and constructive suggestions from the relevant sectors.

Proposed participants in this process include:

• Waste producers - households, business, institutions, and industry
• Organisations handling or managing waste
• Voluntary, NGO and charity sector companies
• Representative groups such as REPAK and the Construction Industry Federation
• Regulators, policy makers, public sector - such as the EPA and the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government.