EPA warn over reliance on landfill sites

Urgent action is needed if Ireland is to meet tough targets to cut down on rubbish being sent to landfill, it was warned tonight.

And the Environmental Protection Agency called for increasing levies and a ban on dumping untreated waste in tips.

The EPA’s annual review found there was an 8% rise in the amount of rubbish being disposed of in tips in 2005.

Dr Padraic Larkin, EPA deputy director general, said Ireland could fall short of its European commitments.

“But there are several policy instruments that could turn the tide within one to two years,” he said.

“These include increasing the landfill levy and banning the landfilling of untreated waste. This problem must be tackled in 2008.”

The EPA also warned steady improvements in household recycling appears to have stalled.

But in other areas Ireland’s performance is growing at a significant pace. In 2006, municipal waste recycled increased by 18%, household by 14%, packaging by 8% and biodegradable by 26%.

The EPA warned that with increasing amounts of waste going to landfill recycling rates are lower than they should be.

Dr Gerry Byrne, EPA programme manager, said overall progress was very good on recycling.

“Householders and businesses are willing to recycle once they are given the appropriate incentives and services,” he said.

“Prevention of packaging, especially the difficult-to-recycle packaging, is the environmentally sustainable way of increasing the packaging recycling rate.”

But the influence on landfills on our waste regime continues to show with an 8% increase in the municipal rubbish dumped in tips.

The EPA said the sudden increase was a serious concern and blamed in part the 29 landfills operating around the country adding that many are new and have sufficient capacity to accept rubbish for a number of years.

Rubbish from construction and demolition businesses accounted for 55% of all waste – 17 million tonnes.