Irish government to spend €127 million to fend off its waste crisis

“More waste prevention plus more recycling equals less waste equals less landfills,” said Noel Dempsey, Minister for the Environment and Local Government. “By the end of the year, a quarter of a million Dublin homes will have segregated waste collection.”

Ireland has been facing a number of waste problems recently. Last year, a leading industry body revealed that Ireland was on the verge of a waste management crisis (see related story). And last week, it was revealed that Ireland’s biggest glass recycling facility is to close at the end of May (see related story).

Dempsey pointed out that Ireland now has over 1,300 bring banks, up from 400 in 1994, and segregated collection systems have recently been developed in Galway, Nenagh, County Waterford, and parts of Louth and Meath. There was also a new plastic bag levy, introduced last week, which “has already had a dramatic effect”, said Dempsey.

Dempsey’s new management plan is intended to increase bring bank density from one for every 3,000 households, to one for every 500-1,000 households, and to more than double the number of civic amenity sites, with segregated collection in most urban areas. There will also be a new National Waste Management Board to co-ordinate, monitor, review and advise on all aspects of waste management.