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Ireland’s Environment 2012
68
Waste Management Planning
The current National Hazardous
Waste Management Plan runs
until the end of 2012 (EPA, 2008).
This focuses on the prevention
of hazardous waste and seeks to
promote the safe collection and
treatment of such waste. An interim
implementation report has been
published with a view to initiating
consultations in relation to a new
hazardous waste plan for 2013
and beyond (EPA, 2011b).
Indigenous infrastructural provision
for hazardous and recyclable
waste is limited, leaving Ireland
reliant on waste export markets
to treat hazardous and recyclable
waste materials. The provision
of indigenous facilities to deal
with recyclable waste as well as
the development of markets and
standards for secondary material is
being addressed by the
rx3
Market
Development Programme, but
outcomes here will be influenced
by economics and the small size
of the Irish waste market.
There are currently 11 waste planning
regions in Ireland. The waste market
and national arrangement of
infrastructure are such that this
number of regions is not an efficient
administrative arrangement. The
Government is currently consulting
with Local Authorities with a view
to rationalisation of these regions.
Recent legislative changes require
an evaluation of regional waste plans
by the end of 2012, and any decision
on reconfiguration of regions will
be reflected in the development
of replacement plans.
Waste Prevention and Research
Prevention of waste is to be
preferred to waste management
and is at the highest point in the
EU waste hierarchy. Reducing the
inefficient and inappropriate use
of raw materials and resources will
reduce waste generation, energy/
water use, transport impacts and
all consequential environmental
impacts.
National Waste Prevention Programme
The National Waste Prevention Programme – now marketed
under the BeGreen banner – was launched in 2004 and since
then has developed a number of prevention initiatives. These
have targeted business through sectoral approaches, e.g.:
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Green Business
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Green Hospitality
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Green Retail
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Packaging waste prevention
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Hospitals etc.
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Households
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Green Home – allied to Green School
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Stop Food Waste
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Local Authorities (Local Authority Prevention Network).
There are also prevention projects aimed at the general
public including Greening Communities and Green Festivals.
Re-use of products/materials is an important aspect of
prevention, and projects here include the Community Re-use
Network Ireland, SMILE Business Resource Exchange and the
www.freetradeireland
initiative. In 2011, €3 million was invested
in NWPP projects, resulting in economic savings worth in excess
of €12 million for the participant organisations through resource
efficiency (EPA, 2012b).
The EPA-coordinated NWPP is producing useful behavioural
change guidance and other resources for households, communities,
institutions and businesses, which are all available through its
website (
www.epa.ie/whatwedo/resource/nwpp
)