EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 6. Conclusions Waste Management in Ireland Ireland’s waste management landscape changed radically with the implementation of the Waste Management Act in 1996. From a low base, our country made great strides in reducing disposal to landfill, providing an infrastructure for the collection of recyclables and developing expertise in waste management and regulation. Ireland showed innovation by being the first country to introduce a plastic bag tax and to launch a National Waste Prevention Programme. However, Ireland has reached a plateau in relation to waste management; to further deliver the necessary waste prevention and circular economy ambitions will be a challenge. The latest waste statistics indicate that waste generation is increasing in many waste streams, including municipal, C&D waste, hazardous waste, WEEE and ELVs. The link between economic growth, consumption levels and waste generation has not been broken. Waste Infrastructure National municipal landfills and waste-to-energy facilities are operating at capacity and Ireland has some significant waste infrastructure deficits, as evidenced by its high dependence on export markets for treating municipal and hazardous wastes. There is a risk to the state in the event of export markets closing at short notice and the planned contingency landfill capacity needs to be secured without delay. Developing new recycling industries and markets in Ireland would build its self-sufficiency, while recognising that viability may be an issue given the volumes produced here. Civic amenity sites and bring banks serve an important function in Ireland’s waste management infrastructure, and there is potential to increase their number, aligned with population density, and for the role of civic amenity sites to be expanded to include opportunities for reuse and repair activities. 40 Waste Legislative Targets While Ireland is meeting current legislative targets for waste collection, recovery and recycling, and diversion from landfill, future targets will be a significant challenge given our current performance, particularly municipal and packaging recycling targets for which rates have plateaued or are declining. National waste statistics indicate that much municipal and packaging waste is sent for energy recovery. While this waste management option is preferred over disposal to landfill, there is a risk that it may disincentivise extraction of recyclable 40 A review of civic amenity site operations carried out by the regional waste management planning offices will be published shortly. materials from residual waste. Future EU legislative targets are for recycling (none for recovery) and reuse targets are expected in future. While waste prevention has been central to national waste policy since the 1990s, circular economy policy is making prevention and reuse more urgent and necessary. Composition of Household and Commercial Waste Municipal waste characterisation studies have given us valuable evidence on the composition of household and commercial waste bins. On the positive side, the roll-out of organic bins has had an impact in terms of diverting food and garden waste to recycling but there are stark results regarding poor segregation, and correct segregation could reduce residual waste by half and increase Ireland’s recycling rates. Education and awareness play a role as well as enforcement activities. Regulating the Waste Sector Non-compliance in the regulated waste sector is an ongoing issue, and the EPA and local authorities are responsible for enforcement. A risk-based approach is taken and resources directed to national priority areas. There is a significant level of enforcement activity and, given that enforcement responsibilities are shared across regulators, it is important to maintain a high level of interagency cooperation to ensure consistent approaches are taken and information and data shared efficiently and effectively. Waste crime is a significant cost to the state, from staff resources to remediation costs, and illegal activity ranges from littering to backyard burning to large-scale unauthorised waste disposal. Waste legislation needs to be effective and enforceable and the range, level and application of penalties for breaches of waste management legislation sufficient to deter unwanted behaviours. A review of litter legislation and the regulation of by-products and end-of-waste materials would be useful to ensure that provisions and regulatory processes are efficient and effective. The forthcoming EPA-led study on the nature and extent of waste crime in Ireland is welcome as a way of identifying the current status, as the last report on unauthorised waste activity was published in 2005. 250