EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016

Chapter 6: Waste

compliance. Strategic enforcement priorities for the EPA in

the waste sector are:

dealing with, and minimising the risk of fire

introducing effective measures to minimise odour

nuisance

securing financial provision for environmental liabilities

at waste facilities

ensuring waste exports comply with the Waste

Shipments Regulation

implementing the reorganisation of local authority

enforcement.

Local authorities prepare annual waste enforcement work

programmes and, in 2014, they reported carrying out

approximately 64,000 inspections and initiating over 450

prosecutions (EPA, 2015a).

Waste Targets and Prevention

Ireland is meeting current waste targets but some

future targets are at risk.

A number of EU directives set targets for recovery of

waste and its diversion from landfill. Ireland has met all

statutory targets, although some future targets are at risk

(Table 6.1), particularly for separate collection of portable

batteries and recycling/recovery of end-of-life vehicles.

The Commission’s Circular Economy Package is proposing

ambitious future targets for 2025 and beyond for

municipal waste recycling, municipal waste disposal to

landfill and packaging waste recycling. These proposals are

currently under negotiation.

www.epa.ie/waste/municipal/

Waste Prevention

Ireland’s National Waste Prevention Programme is

well established.

Waste prevention is higher on the waste hierarchy, and is

therefore preferred to recovery or disposal (see Figure 6.2).

Figure 6.2

Waste Hierarchy (Source: EPA)

PREVENT

DISPOSE

REDUCE

RECYCLE

ENERGY RECOVERY

REUSE

Ireland’s National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP)

was established in 2004 and is led by the EPA. Businesses,

households and the public sector are given support and

guidance to be more resource efficient, not only in waste

prevention but also in the reduction of energy and water

consumption.

Some examples of NWPP initiatives are Stop

Food Waste, LAPN (Local Authority Prevention Network

www.begreen.ie

Table 6.1

Progress Towards EU Recovery and Recycling Targets (Source: EPA, various)

Directive

Progress to targets

Traffic light

Indicator

Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

(1994/62/EC)

All targets met

Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC)

All targets met (preliminary data for 2016 target)

End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC)

2015 recycling/reuse targets at risk

Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Directive (2002/96/EC)

WEEE Directive recast (2012/19/EU)

All targets met

2016 targets at risk

Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC) 2016 portable battery collection target at risk

Recycling efficiency targets met

Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC)

2020 targets currently on track