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15-07-2010

Public Consultation on Waste Policy Launched

Submissions Requested on Segregation of Food Waste for Households


Mr John Gormley, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, announced today (15 July 2010) that he is launching a public consultation process on waste policy, including draft regulations to require the provision of segregated food waste collections for households. 

Speaking at a Thorntons Recycling, "Ask the Expert" event focused on recent Food Waste regulations, the Minister outlined how the new food regulations are part of key policy innovations to ensure that waste is treated as the resource it is. "We need to ensure that waste is treated as a resource. Waste is not a problem to be binned, buried or burned. Waste is a resource that can create jobs, improve competitiveness and enhance prosperity," he said. 

The new draft policy brings together the work of three years into a single document, and is an overall vision of how everyone can work together to make the required shift in thinking and action on waste.  

"At a national level, we propose to set standards for source-segregated collections, and through a carefully structured tendering process for household collections, we intend establishing an efficient and cost effective system.  We will also provide a framework to ensure a broad range of treatment options is developed.  All of these measures will contribute to ensuring no one company and no one treatment option dominates the Irish waste market.  By providing for a strong competitive waste industry, I believe we will see delivery of a cost effective service and high levels of environmental performance," he said.  

Mr. Gary Brady, Managing Director of Thorntons Recycling welcomed the consultation process announced by the Minister.

“The Irish waste sector is highly developed and highly competitive.  The collection of household waste in particular is a market which has been dominated by local councils.  We have also seen a haphazard roll-out of brown bin collection services across local authority areas by both the public and private sector.  A structured system for source-segregated collections will not only benefit the industry, it will also pay dividends for the consumer and for the environment”.

Mr. Brady said that Ireland has been slow to recognise the economic potential of the waste sector. “The current attitude to waste – of dumping everything to landfill, is slowly changing and this is to be welcomed.  Thorntons Recycling is an example of a company making a strong economic contribution in the waste sector.  We are leading the move up the waste hierarchy and away from disposal and residual waste treatments like landfill and mass burn incineration.  In the process we are employing over 225 people in 7 facilities in Dublin, Meath and Kildare.”

The "Ask the Expert" event was designed to educate attendees about how the introduction of new Irish food waste regulations is impacting on Irish businesses, in particular those operating in the retail and hospitality sectors.

Since the start of this month, new food waste regulations oblige all major producers of food waste, such as restaurants and cafés, hot food outlets, canteens, hotels and larger guesthouses, supermarkets and other food retailers to segregate food materials from other waste and make them available for a separate brown bin collection service. 

Mr. Brady warned that Irish businesses need to implement proper procedures for the separation; disposal and recycling of food waste, or face hefty fines and even imprisonment.

"The owners of the premises as well as the tenant is liable if the regulations are breached and face a maximum fine of  €3,000 at District court or 12 months in Prison or both", says Brady.  "A key requirement is that food waste must be kept separate from all other waste.  If businesses have not already implemented the appropriate procedures they urgently need to assess how they are going to adhere logistically to the regulations or face severe penalties."

"Under the legislation, producers of food waste can implement onsite treatment, for example composting, but will need a Certificate of Registration from their Local Authority for such a process.  Critically, food waste can no longer be disposed of through a macerator into the sewer system where there is a brown bin service available.  Many larger companies have invested in macerators and will now need to disable this system", he said.

"Many County Councils have been slow to introduce and enforce a brown bin service.  Thornton's has been receiving a lot of enquiries from concerned business owners wondering how they are supposed to meet the new regulations in the absence of such a service.  We provide a service which ensures compliance with the new regulations, however County Councils must also step up to the plate in enforcing the new regulations”.

Thorntons Recycling is a market leader in food waste recycling and currently manufactures high grade compost from food waste at its Kilmainhamwood compost facility.  Last year the facility processed over 20,000 tonnes of food waste. 
 
The event was attended by more than 160 delegates from the retail, hospitality, financial and healthcare sectors.