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TWO THIRDS OF rubbish that was disposed of through general waste bins in Ireland could’ve been recycled or composted, a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found.
The National Municipal Waste Characterisation Project found that food waste made up 30% of the content found in commercials waste bins and 17% in household waste bins in 2022.
The findings have led the EPA to call on Ireland to make urgent improvements to their household and commercial waste segregation and recycling performance through the provision of organic waste bins to all households and commercial premises.
The project also found that recyclable materials such as plastics, paper, cardboard and metal account for around 24% of the household general waste bin and 37% of the commercial general waste bin.
A statement from the EPA said: “Access to recycling infrastructure, such as civic amenity sites and bring banks, needs to be made easier for householders to support segregation of special, bulky and hazardous wastes.”
A further rollout of organic waste bins – or ‘brown bins’ – to houses, apartments, and commercial sectors needs be “enforced to ensure waste collectors are providing the same level of service to customers”, the agency said.
The EPA noted that this project found that there was “very little change” in Ireland’s waste performance when compared to a similar report in 2018.
Micheál Lehane, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability labelled the findings as “disappointing” and said households and businesses incorrectly disposing of their waste is a “lost opportunity”.
“Organic waste bins need to rolled out urgently to businesses and households without this service,” he said
Lehane added that new commercial waste regulations must be implemented “without delay”.
Earlier in the year, commercial waste company Panda were criticised by politicians and local representatives after it decided to change its price €3.80 for brown bin collections in the Fingal local authority.
According to Ireland’s National Waste Policy, which plans how Ireland should manage waste between 2020 and 2025, the government plans to work with local authorities to “ensure that every householder and business has access to a reliable, clean and sustainable way of managing food waste”.
At the time, Green Party councillor for Fingal Daniel Whooley told The Journal he believed that imposing the new fee could potentially hinder proper waste management, as people will have less of an incentive to use their brown bins for food and garden waste.
“While I understand that waste management companies aim to cover their operational costs, it is vital to keep environmental policies accessible and affordable.” he added.
Dublin South-West TD for People Before Profit Paul Murphy said that the bins should be placed back in the control of the local councils and that the move was “about profit for a private company”.
The matter was later brought in front of the Dáil, during Leader’s Questions, when PBP TD Bríd Smith was accused by Tánaiste Micheál Martin of seeking to “destroy Ireland’s economic model” as the pair clashed over the privatisation of bin collection.
Martin later went on to say a review would be conducted into the matter and added that he believes private companies are “required to charge fees” to incentivise households to minimise and segregate their waste.
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Privatisation of waste was wrong another rush to monetise what should be a state controlled job
Here, some “rural” households don’t even get a bin collection service, as a result of private company’s taking over the job. Sort that out! Try carting black bags 20 mins away to the amenities centre in the boot of your car,with the kids and then hefting them (bags not kids) over a railing more than half the height of yourself. Not for the faint hearted! Where is out public services!
@Marie B: within a year of privatisation we went from 4 bins (waste, recycling, compost,glass) with three operators to choose from to 1 operator and just waste,recycling bins now.
I pay a flat rate of just over €80 every 3 months.. I get charged extra for exceeding my weight allowance on recycling.. I went to my recycling plant 20 min away with cardboard, plastic , tetra and payed €2 entry.. actually felt good doing a small bit for the environment.. my recycling bin is now 1/2 full every two weeks.. I asked for a reduction in charges and the advisor actually laughed down the phone at me.. no incentive to do the right thing at all.
@Kenny Malone: So cancel your contract with the bin suppliers and continue to bring your rubbish to the recycling plant. Money is better off in your pocket than there’s
Waste avoidance would also be a good starting point. Almost none of grocery packing is recyclebal.
@smatrix mantra: Don’t know what you are buying but most of the packaging on the stuff I buy is recyclable. Boxes, bottles, tins, plastic wrap, meat trays, all can be recycled as long as they are clean and dry.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: as you said everthing can be recycled but wash all the packaging like my tv licence No
handing bin collection over to private companies like we did with other utilities has been a real treat for Ireland. Overpriced, very little decent services in return. And to think some clowns actually wanted the same thing to happen to the water in this country
You think the so called greens would have sorted this but they have been too busy destroying the city and imposing taxes
Those figures are set to get considerably worse.
Panda (Now a subsidiary of a massive Canadian vulture fund) have a monopoly on collections in many areas and have now introduced a charge on compost lifts, increased the charge on recycling lifts, and added a per kg charge on top for recycling. End result – No incentive to segregate anymore. Everything just goes in general waste now, have contacted them to collect the Green and Brown bins as I don’t need them anymore.
Almost zero recycling bins in our capital city, let alone across towns and villages. Communal bottle banks and clothes banks are few and far between. You have to pay (!) to use the few small recycling centres there are.
Household waste…speaking for Dublin, even if they gave us more bin types (most countries go with plastic, paper, compost and other) theybsit on the street. Why the city can’t install underground communal bins is a mystery, instead we waste money on ‘strong’ plastic sacks to stick on the pavement for the seagulls and foxes to get into each week.
Meanwhile bin collection fees are high and no discount if you have less waste.
It’s not hard…we need to look at other countries in Europe and how they recycle, learn some lessons and then implement them.
I always segregate my waste, yet I read recently that only 20% of plastic in domestic bins, is fit to be recycled. Is it any wonder people aren’t bothered about which bin their waste goes into
If plastic was banned to begin with there would be no issue. Glass bottles, paper bags, keep cups. Cardboard packaging only. Unwrapped fruit and veg. Oh and using local fruit markets and butchers if that’s your thing. And stop eating processed and froxmzen foods. Some containers are nearly impossible to clean due to design oversight.
@Monty Carlow: To be honest, I sometimes rinse salad trays and stick them in the top shelf of the dishwasher. It melts them flat & gets them clean :-)
@Monty Carlow: Glass? I would buy more products in Glass containers if it was easier to recycle them. It is one the most recyclable products going and yet we are not allowed put it in our recycle bins!
It wasnt just Fingal charged €3.80 per Compost bin lift, it was the whole country? I’m in Wexford and i get charged it now too by Panda…Got emailed about it 3months ago.
We use the brown bin all the time but lately , especially during the really hot spell we had a dreadful problem with maggots in the bin. We are very careful with what we put in the bin and with sealing items which provoke these horrible things. We wash out the bin every time it is emptied and use a bin liner (Eco) but leaving collection of this bin for two weeks at a time is ridiculous, it needs to be emptied weekly. The charges have escalated and on a fixed income these charges are substantial, they should be tax deductible to encourage compliance but better yet the service should fall under the cover of our property taxes (home tax).
@Eileen Kelly: In other countries, they have a regular service to clean the bins as well. I don’t see why they can’t offer that here, monthly maybe, steam them out? Often those flimsy overpriced bags tear while they’re being emptied. I’m not sure what facilities apartments have for cleaning bins either.
Used to fastidiously separate my waste, until the brown bin charge came in. Why pay for 3 bins when I can pay for 2.
@Sean Wilde:
Agreed, it’s now about the cheapest option, not necessarily doing the right thing.
Charging for recycling and/or organic waste should be illegal. It is counterproductive.
As long as plastic is produced it will be a problem.
I am just confused over what can and can’t go in the bins especially when it comes to plastics.
@S Os: Check your collector’s website (we are with Wiser), they will have all the info you need.
I live on the Copper Coast. Most people around me just burn their rubbish.
I think Ireland is already one of the best countries in Europe for recycling but there’s still no thanks for it.
Price increases coming on cans and plastic btls to pay for recycling vending machines in February. Return and u get coupons for cash to get increases back.
Must have been horrible to go through it all to find out!
It had been so mismanaged through privatisation that I one gives a damn anymore.
If the rubbish could have been put into Eamon one end it could have come out the other green,or even the other way round cos what comes out of his mouth is similar to it why not try clone him and we all have 3 eamons as bins recycling, waste and garden then it can be evenly spread throughout green areas to enhance growth
Ye, there collection companies have a lot to answer for so…We pay them for 3 bins. Up to them to process the yrash and make sure its recycled or composted. Done our job our end
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