Plans for organic facility

A €20m organic waste compost facility has been proposed for Foynes docks.

Plans for the development have been circulated to local interest groups and the Mr Binman waste disposal company intends to start the planning process shortly.

At present, there is no compost processing unit to deal with organic material in an area covering Limerick, Clare and Kerry.

Depending on the planning process, the project may take up to two years to get up and running.

From next year households will be able to dispose of organic waste in brown bins provided.

The Mr Binman company has purchased an 18 acre site at Foynes docks which previously housed a smokeless coal company.

Seamus Leahy, environmental manager with Mr Binman said the entire process would take place indoors and would not involve any emissions.

Organic waste would be turned into compost through a process involving the placing of organic waste into a series of tunnels over a period which would take up to 10 weeks.

Mr Leahy said the facility would reduce the need for incineration.

It is envisaged that 10 people will be employed at the recycling plant at Foynes.

Mr Leahy said it was also their intention to relocate some of the office personnel to Foynes creating up to 50 jobs in all there.