Attwood, who replaces Edwin Poots following the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, said he was “acutely aware” that the nation could face hefty european fines if his department failed to tackle the problem head on.
He said: “There is no doubt that Northern Ireland has been rethinking waste in ensuring we reduce, reuse and recycle. But we need to do much more especially on an all Ireland basis. Put simply, we have to stop sending waste to landfills.
“I will be considering very carefully how we can tackle all of these issues to achieve a continuing improvement in performance and create the basis for the sustainable and dynamic economy that we need.”
He added that effective management of waste could help stimulate businesses and community enterprises.
Maxine Perella