EPA loses track of 200,000 tonnes of household waste

MORE than 200,000 tonnes of household waste was unaccounted for in 2005, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The most likely outcome was that the rubbish was burned or illegally dumped, but local authorities are looking at ways to improve information on what happens to it.

Although the 202,940 tonnes classed in the EPA’s National Waste Report 2005 data update as uncollected household waste is 11% less than the previous year, it still accounts for more than one-seventh of all domestic rubbish.

The figure is estimated by the EPA based on the amount of waste collected by local councils or private operators, which accounts for just over three-quarters of all household waste.

Account is also taken of people who may be sharing a bin for collection and others who bring their rubbish to a nearby landfill.

“It’s our feeling that some of it is dealt with correctly, some of it is burned in back yards and some of it is dumped,” said EPA director Mary Kelly.

The agency said its Office of Environmental Enforcement and local authorities were continuing to address problems such as backyard burning through awareness and local radio campaigns, proactive enforcement initiatives and litter hotlines.

In 2005, local authorities reported the clean-up of 15,723 tonnes of fly-tipped waste, accounting for almost 8% of “uncollected” household waste.

The report also shows that the targets of having 35% of municipal waste recycled by 2013 was almost reached in 2005, but this target may be increased again in light of progress to date.

The availability of almost 2,000 ‘bring bank’ recycling facilities for householders helped the level of domestic waste being recycled instead of being sent to landfills rise to 23% in 2005. However, the EPA reports considerable progress is still to be made to achieve a 50% target set for 2013.

Fine Gael environment-al spokesperson, Fergus O’Dowd, said the EPA report highlighted the lack of waste infrastructure put in place by the Government, as it showed that 83% of recyclable waste was exported in 2005. This included 99.9% of electrical goods, and more than 90% of all glass, paper and cardboard brought for recycling.

He said there was also evidence of a lack of progress on diverting bio-degradable waste, and absolute reliance on landfills.

“It clearly shows that the public are willing to recycle and engage in environmentally beneficial waste disposal but the lack of infrastructure put in place by Fianna Fáil and the PDs after 10 years in power is severely hindering any progress,” Mr O’Dowd said.

“Every day, and especially in the weeks after Christmas, there are queues to get into bring centres and use bottle banks that are already full. The public wants to use these facilities but nowhere near enough have been provided,” he said.

Of 34 city and county councils, 15 did not operate kerbside collections of household waste in 2005, although local authorities collected just over half of all waste collected from homes nationally.