Kerry County Council mothballs last landfill site as demand declines

A local authority yesterday decided to close its landfill from the end of 2014 due to the increasing amount of waste being exported — but retained the option to reopen the facility in the coming years.

Kerry County Council unanimously agreed to a recommendation from its environmental services director Oliver Ring to mothball its last remaining landfill, near Tralee.

Mr Ring said that demand for waste from energy-generating incinerators in other EU countries was continually reducing demand for landfill space in Ireland, which has seen a drop in operational landfills from 21 to eight since 2011.