Report shows Republic’s recycling problems

A Forfas report has found that the Republic of Ireland is performing badly in waste management areas and highlighted problems with Ireland’s ability to meet the waste treatment needs of Irish industry.

It compared the State’s waste management performance to competitor countries. The Republic produces more municipal waste (including household and commercial waste) per capita than any other country surveyed.
Although the State increased the level of municipal waste being recycled from 13 per cent in 2001 to 33 per cent in 2004, it has not performed well in the recycling of industrial waste. The landfill is still a common waste management solution.

The report showed that the Republic’s waste treatment and recycling costs are higher than most other countries included in the survey. This is because of a dependence on exporting waste for recycling treatment. There is also a need for the State to increase its waste capacity by giving an alternative to landfill.

Martin Cronin, chief executive of Forfas, said that there were a number of reasons for problems in waste management.
“Continuing increases in waste management due to a growing population and economy, lengthy delays in rolling out planned infrastructure, and an increasing dependence on exporting have led to concerns over the ability of the Irish waste system to cater for further economic expansion and to provide competitively priced waste management solutions.”