Disposal of Waste

The national landfill levy as well as EU legislation continue to be primary drivers of change in relation to such waste management practices in Ireland.

The quantity of BMW disposed to landfill in 2018 was 190 ktonnes, compared to 307 ktonnes in 2017 - amounting to a 38 per cent decrease. National initiatives and policies are needed to improve municipal waste recycling rates if the country is to keep on target with challenging future recycling rates under the Waste Framework Directive (EPA, 2019). For a comprehensive list of current regulations and legislation click here.

Waste can also be burned in incinerators with its energy recovered, although recycling and composting are seen as the most desirable method for certain types of our waste. Below is a comparison of how Ireland deals with its municipal waste relative to the EU27 average.

Landfill

Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying rubbish and this remains a common practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries or mining voids. They can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as leachate, gas, wind-blown litter and the attraction of vermin. Methane gas is a common by-product of landfills. It is harmful because it can kill surface vegetation, is a potent greenhouse gas and it smells.

Part of the Government's policy on landfills is to move from a high number of poorly managed landfill facilities to a much smaller number, operated to the highest environmental standards. There were 87 local authority landfills in 1995, which decreased to 76 in 1998 and to 50 by the end of 2001. This downward trend has continued to 25 landfills as of 2011, and just 6 landfills in 2016. Today, just three landfills are accepting municipal waste for disposal. Additionaly, there are two municipal waste incinerators that accept municipal waste for energy recovery in Ireland (EPA, 2020).

Ireland has achieved or is on track to achieve all of our waste management targets set by the EU. See more detail on how we have done in relation to our EU targets here. 

Landfill Levy

With effect from 1 July 2013, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government increased the landfill levy, using the power available to him under the Waste Management Acts. The Waste Management Regulations increased the landfill levy by 10 euro to 75 euro per tonne for each tonne of waste disposed of at authorised and unauthorised landfill facilities. Higher levy rates have significantly further incentivised the diversion of waste from landfill.

 

Poolbeg - the site of the Dublin plant

This is the site for the Dublin thermal treatment plant. The current power station is currently owned by ESB and sits beside the now-decommissioned Pidgeon House generating station where electricity was first generated in 1903.

Copyright John Kennedy

Poolbeg - the site of the Dublin plant
Copyright John Kennedy

Poolbeg - the site of the Dublin plant

This is the site for the Dublin thermal treatment plant. The current power station is currently owned by ESB and sits beside the now-decommissioned Pidgeon House generating station where electricity was first generated in 1903.

Copyright John Kennedy

Enlarge image

Incineration/Thermal treatment

This is a disposal method that involves the burning of waste material. It converts unwanted materials into heat, gas, steam and ash.

Commercial incineration of municipal waste commenced in late 2011 at Indaver Ireland’s Carranstown, Co. Meath site, and is currently consented to treat up to 0.2 Mt per year (EPA, 2013). The EPA also granted waste licences for commercial incinerators to Indaver Ireland (Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork) and Dublin City Council (Poolbeg). As of December 2017 the Poolbeg incenerator is operating at full capacity and processing approximately 1800 tonnes of solid waste per day. Altough the Board granted planning permission for the site,construction has not commenced at the Ringaskiddy facility to date (January 2018) after local objections. While these kinds of installation appear a ready solution to the waste problem, they often attract opposition because of health and safety fears.

Use of waste as a fuel

More residual waste is now used as a fuel (energy recovery) than disposed to landfill in Ireland (EPA, 2020). The trends in landfills and incinerators from 2007 to 2020 are shown in the graph below.