Just 2% of Co Cork householders causing 'massive damage' to environment with illegal dumping

With 98% of households using kerbside collections or council run amenity sites to dispose of waste, councillors call for door-to-door checks to identify those responsible for tonnes of illegal dumping

A small number of dumpers can have a disproportionately large impact on the environment, councillors told. File picture

Just 2% of householders in Co Cork do not have a legitimate means of disposing waste and some of them could be responsible for tonnes of illegal dumping, according to a report compiled by Cork County Council’s environment directorate.

The council has released information which shows about 92,100 households are availing of kerbside collections by private waste companies, which represents some 81% of all households. 

In addition, about 17% of households dispose of waste at council-run civic amenity sites.

That leaves 2% unaccounted for and how they dispose of their waste was a source of huge debate, prompted by Independent councillor Karen Coakley, who called on the council to carry out door-to-door checks around the county.

Ms Coakley said she did not have a bin but disposed of her waste at a civic amenity site and has receipts to prove it, as others like her would. She said those availing of kerbside collections would have bills they could show to inspectors, whereas people who used neither method should then have to explain how they get rid of their waste.

Louis Duffy, head of the council’s environment directorate, said while the number of households not availing of legitimate disposal methods was very low, when the volume of waste generated by one family on a weekly basis was considered, it was apparent there was the potential for a small number of dumpers to have a disproportionately large impact on the environment.

“With a population of over 350,000, covering an area over 7,000sq m, identifying this small percentage of households within Cork county provides a challenge,” he added.

Mr Duffy explained that under current GDPR legislation, the council cannot compel waste collection companies to supply it with details of all the customers they service.

However, he said new ‘circular economy’ legislation, which he hoped would be passed by the Dáil this year, would enable the local authority to get information from the companies which “should highlight hotspots of poor kerbside collection take-up, facilitating targeted household surveys,” as called for by Ms Coakley.

Independent councillor Frank Roche said there was an increasing number of mattresses and electrical goods being dumped at forestry in North Cork. File picture

At present, he said the council was mainly relying on information from the public about people involved in illegal dumping.

The Anti-Litter Unit receives over 600 reports of the dumping of household waste annually. Every report of dumping is investigated, and bags of dumped waste are combed for evidence that may lead to the producer. 

"Where insufficient evidence is found to issue a fine under the Litter Pollution Act, enforcement officer follows leads from any evidence that is found and investigate further, in an attempt to narrow down the likely origin of the waste,” Mr Duffy said.

“It seems to be a tiny percentage, but they’re definitely doing massive damage,” Ms Coakley said.

Nearly every councillor spoke about illegal dumping getting worse in their areas.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan said tidy towns volunteers in Watergrasshill recently picked up 150 bags of litter in a short space of time on a part of the N8 near the village.

Independent councillor Frank Roche said there was an increasing number of mattresses and electrical goods being dumped at forestry in North Cork.

“It’s not just in the countryside,” added Crosshaven-based Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley, who said it was becoming commonplace at beaches and in rivers.