Why does rubbish cost more than coal?

HIGH-QUALITY Polish coal before it arrives at our fireplace has a long way to travel.

All these various distribution procedures are the subject of “value added” - ie profit, at each stage as the product proceeds to its eventual destination - our fireplace; having travelled perhaps 2,000km.

Then the consumer ends up paying around €12 per 40kg bag or about €280 per tonne if purchased by the tonne. It therefore follows that the cost per kilogramme is between 28 and 30 cent delivered to the door.

So! Will someone please tell me how Cork County Council can justify charging 33 cent per kilo - which is €330 per tonne - plus the standing charge to collect my garbage and bring it to a tiphead for disposal, where the distance travelled may be only 50km or 60km and, to boot, make no profit.

I appreciate that it is very difficult to acquire land for landfill purposes but surely it can’t be really that bad when one considers that we have the second-lowest density of population in the EU.

Or is the local authority really using this as another stealth tax?

Kevin Mansfield

Green Hill

Fermoy

Co Cork