10/05/2004
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
"While approximately 65% of all municipal waste is biodegradable, in light of projected economic and population growth, the achievement of these targets will prove a real challenge and will have far reaching consequences on our future infrastructural capacity", so said Pat the Cope Gallagher, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, today (6 May 2004). The Minister was speaking at the opening of the 4th Annual Composting Seminar and Exhibition in the Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore.
The annual event, organised by Cré – the Composting Association of Ireland Teo, aims to promote composting and the use of compost in Ireland as a means for the sustainable management of organic waste from domestic and commercial sources. The recent publication of Ireland's first draft National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste provided one of the key themes for discussion at today's seminar. Under the Landfill Directive, Ireland is required by 2016 to reduce its landfill of biodegradable municipal waste to 35% of the amount produced in 1995. Interim targets for the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste to 75% and 50% are to be achieved by 2006 and 2009 respectively.
The draft Strategy sets out a range of integrated measures designed to facilitate the achievement of the ambitious diversion targets and places a strong emphasis on the separate collection and biological treatment of food and garden waste.
"It is estimated that by 2009, in the region of 1.8 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste will need to be diverted annually" said Minister Gallagher. This represents approximately an eight-fold increase in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste recovered in 2001. In order to achieve such substantial volumes, specific targets have been set for both the domestic and the commercial sectors and their achievement will require a sustained and concerted effort from the Irish waste industry.
To continue to build on the overwhelming success of the Race Against Waste Campaign and to complement the objectives outlined in the draft Strategy, the Minister announced the publication of the fact-sheet Composting is Easy to promote the use of composting in everyday life. "The Strategy makes clear that we need a huge shift towards composting and this is going to require raising awareness of its benefits amongst householders" said Minister Gallagher.
The fact-sheet provides some useful information in a user-friendly format to facilitate householders in participating in a home-composting programme. In light of forthcoming measures to introduce weight/volume based charging for waste collection services nationally on 1st January 2005, home composting now provides householders with a strong incentive to reduce their organic waste going to landfill.
The Minister also launched the website www.ipcc.ie on behalf of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council. The website which was sponsored by the 4 Dublin local authorities contains information on conserving peatlands and useful tips for householders on composting.