A new report on how Member States manage their municipal waste shows that Ireland still has a long way to go. The Irish results are remarkably poor in areas such as decoupling of waste from consumption, access to waste collection services and the rate of waste going to landfills. Scoring 19 out of 42 points Ireland ranks 15 out of 27 Member States (by contrast Austria and the Netherlands scored 39 points).

The report grades the Member States against 18 criteria such as total waste recycled, pricing of waste disposal, and infringements of European legislation. The resulting scoreboard forms part of an on-going study that will help Member States improve their waste management performance. Top of the table are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany,  the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Ireland is only one point ahead of the Member States with the largest implementation gaps which are Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Failings include poor or non-existent waste prevention policies, a lack of incentives to divert waste from landfills, and inadequate waste infrastructure. Heavy reliance on landfilling means that better waste management options such as re-use and recycling are consistently underexploited. The outlook is accordingly poor.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden by contrast have comprehensive waste collection systems and landfill less than 5 % of their waste. They have well developed recycling systems, sufficient treatment capacity, and they perform well with biodegradable waste. Typically, they blend legal, administrative and economic instruments to good effect in their waste management policies.

Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik says: “The picture that emerges from this exercise confirms my strong concerns. Many Member States are still landfilling huge amounts of municipal waste – the worst waste management option – despite better alternatives, and despite structural funds being available to finance better options. Valuable resources are being buried, potential economic benefits are being lost, jobs in the waste management sector are not being created, and human health and the environment suffer. This is hard to defend in our present economic circumstances.”

The Commission is using this report to prepare Roadmaps for the ten worst performing Member States. These will be discussed with national authorities at bilateral seminars this autumn, starting in Prague on 19 September. The Roadmaps will help spread best practices and will contain tailor-made recommendations on how to improve waste management using economic, legal and administrative tools, and EU structural funds.

The Commission is looking to use EU structural funds with a greater focus on the objectives of EU waste policy. The proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 will ensure that EU money is only invested in waste management projects if certain conditions are met beforehand, including the development of Waste Management Plans in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive and with the waste hierarchy, favouring prevention, reuse and recycling over incineration with energy recovery, with landfilling or incineration without energy recovery as a last resort.

A recent study prepared for the Commission estimates that full implementation of EU waste legislation would save Eur72 billion a year, increase the annual turnover of the EU waste management and recycling sector by Eur42 billion and create over 400,000 jobs by 2020.

In the EU27, 502 kg of municipal waste was generated per person in 2010, while 486 kg of municipal waste was treated per person. This municipal waste was treated in different ways – 38% was landfilled, 22% incinerated, 25% recycled and 15% composted.

The amount of municipal waste generated varies significantly across Member States. Cyprus, with 760 kg per person, had the highest amount of waste generated in 2010, followed by Luxembourg, Denmark and Ireland with values between 600 and 700 kg per person, and the Netherlands, Malta, Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Portugal with values between 500 and 600 kg. Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria had values between 400 and 500 kg, while values of below 400 kg per person were recorded in Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia and Latvia.

Incineration represents half or more of waste treatment in Denmark and Sweden

The treatment methods differ substantially between Member States. In 2010, the Member States with the highest share of municipal waste landfilled were Bulgaria (100% of waste treated), Romania (99%), Lithuania (94%) and Latvia (91%).

The highest shares of incinerated municipal waste were observed in Denmark (54% of waste treated), Sweden (49%), the Netherlands (39%), Germany (38%), Belgium (37%), Luxembourg (35%) and France (34%). In ten Member States incineration was equal to or below 1%.

Recycling was most common in Germany (45% of waste treated), Belgium (40%), Slovenia (39%), Sweden (36%), Ireland (35%) and the Netherlands (33%). The Member States with the highest composting rates for municipal waste were Austria (40%), the Netherlands (28%), Belgium (22%), Luxembourg (20%), Denmark (19%) and Spain (18%).

Recycling and composting of municipal waste together accounted for 50% of waste treated or more in Austria (70%), Belgium and Germany (both 62%), the Netherlands (61%) and Sweden (50%). In five Member States less than 10% of waste was recycled or composted.

In Ireland, 636 kg of municipal waste was generated per person in 2010, the fourth highest in the EU. 57% of this waste was landfilled, 4% was incinerated, 35% was recycled and 4% was composted.

In the EU27 overall, 502 kg of municipal waste1 was generated per person in 2010, while 486 kg of municipal waste was treated per person. This municipal waste was treated in different ways3: 38% was landfilled, 22% incinerated, 25% recycled and 15% composted.

The amount of municipal waste generated varies significantly across Member States. Cyprus, with 760 kg per person, had the highest amount of waste generated in 2010, followed by Luxembourg, Denmark and Ireland with values between 600 and 700 kg per person, and the Netherlands, Malta, Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Portugal with values between 500 and 600 kg. Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria had values between 400 and 500 kg, while values of below 400 kg per person were recorded in Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia and Latvia.

The treatment methods differ substantially between Member States. In 2010, the Member States with the highest share of municipal waste landfilled were Bulgaria (100% of waste treated), Romania (99%), Lithuania (94%) and Latvia (91%).

The highest shares of incinerated municipal waste were observed in Denmark (54% of waste treated), Sweden (49%), the Netherlands (39%), Germany (38%), Belgium (37%), Luxembourg (35%) and France (34%). In ten Member States incineration was equal to or below 1%.

Recycling was most common in Germany (45% of waste treated), Belgium (40%), Slovenia (39%), Sweden (36%), Ireland (35%) and the Netherlands (33%). The Member States with the highest composting rates for municipal waste were Austria (40%), the Netherlands (28%), Belgium (22%), Luxembourg (20%), Denmark (19%) and Spain (18%).

Recycling and composting of municipal waste together accounted for 50% of waste treated or more in Austria (70%), Belgium and Germany (both 62%), the Netherlands (61%) and Sweden (50%). In five Member States less than 10% of waste was recycled or composted.

Ireland is well advanced in achieving most of the EU waste recovery and recycling targets, with the exception of end of life vehicle targets, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Waste Report 2010.

The economic downturn is having a marked influence on municipal waste generation, which has decreased by 16 per cent since it peaked in 2007. The quantity of household waste collected for treatment fell by 5 per cent in spite of an increase in population. The recovery rate for packaging waste increased to 74 per cent.

The main findings of the report were that in 2010:
* Municipal waste generation fell by 3.6 per cent compared to 2009.

* Household waste recovery increased by 11 per cent compared to 2009.

* Household waste collected for treatment fell by 5 per cent and commercial waste collected fell by 12 per cent compared to 2009.

* Municipal waste recycling achieved a rate of 38 per cent, a 3 per cent increase compared to 2009, and close to the EU27 norm of 40 per cent.

* Ireland met its 2010 EU Landfill Directive target for diversion of biodegradable municipal waste from landfill.

* A recovery rate of 74 per cent was achieved for packaging waste, exceeding the EU target of 60 per cent by 2011.

* Ireland is failing to meet the End of Life Vehicle Directive targets for reuse, recovery and recycling of vehicles and their components.

* 29 per cent of occupied houses do not participate in, or are not offered, a waste collection service.

* At current fill rates, 15 of the 28 currently active municipal solid waste landfills in Ireland will close in the next three years. There is a remaining national landfill capacity of 12 years.

* Use of waste as an energy fuel grew by 20 per cent from 2009 figures to 183,000 tonnes in 2010.

EPA director general Laura Burke comments: “There has been a significant reduction in the amount of municipal waste generated in Ireland, from a peak of almost 3.4 million tonnes in 2007, to less than 2.9 million tonnes in 2010. The economic downturn is continuing to have a marked influence on waste generation, particularly in the commercial waste and construction and demolition waste streams. When the economy begins to improve, it is important that we decouple waste generation from economic growth.”

Ireland is making good progress towards achieving its EU targets in areas such as packaging waste, waste electrical goods and batteries. “While Ireland has met its 2010 target for the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill, the more stringent EU targets coming into effect in 2013 and 2016 under the Landfill Directive will be much harder to achieve and will require continued investment in the infrastructure needed to treat biodegradable waste,” she points out.

Priority actions identified in the EPA report were:

* Policies and actions necessary to decouple waste growth from economic growth need to be implemented, with waste prevention at their core;

* Continued support for resource efficiency and conservation initiatives in relation to waste, water and energy is required to deliver reduced costs for public and private enterprises and reduced impacts on the environment;

* Diversion of very large quantities of food waste from landfill remains a key priority that must be addressed if Ireland is to comply with the Landfill Directive;

* State policy to require householders to avail of a collection service will help address problems associated with large number of households not availing of such a service;

* Action needs to be undertaken to improve the reuse, recovery and recycling rates for End of Life Vehicles to ensure that Ireland complies with the relevant EU targets.

Ireland is well advanced in achieving most of the EU waste recovery and recycling targets, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Waste Report 2009. However, the report urges continued efforts to divert biodegradable waste from landfill, improve the penetration of source separated waste collection services (3 bin), and prevent waste arisings from all sectors of society.

In 2009, municipal waste generation in Ireland fell by a further 8.4% following a 5% reduction the previous year. These changes are in line with reductions in GDP and personal consumption levels. The amount of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled fell by 11%, leaving Ireland within 143,000 tonnes of meeting its EU Landfill Directive diversion target for 2010. Household waste generation fell by 3% in spite of an increase in population; 70% of packaging waste was recovered and there was a decrease of 62% in construction and demolition waste.

Laura Burke, director of the EPA’s Office of Climate Change, Licensing and Resource Use.

“There has been a significant reduction in the amount of municipal waste generated in Ireland, from a peak of almost 3.4 million tonnes in 2007, to less than 3 million tonnes in 2009. The economic downturn is having a marked effect on waste generation, particularly in the commercial waste and construction and demolition waste streams. Ireland is also making good progress towards achieving its EU targets for packaging waste, waste electrical goods, the first objectives under the Landfill Directive and also objectives under the new Waste Framework Directive,” comments Laura Burke, director of the EPA’s Office of Climate Change, Licensing and Resource Use.

“While the reductions in waste generation and the improvements in recovery seen in 2009 are welcome, we must continue to focus on resource efficiency to ensure that when economic growth does return, it is not accompanied by a surge in waste generation,” she adds.

Significant progress has been made in managing municipal waste in Ireland and the report clearly shows that Ireland is expected to meet a key EU target for diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfill in 2010. However, the targets for 2013 and 2016 will be more difficult to achieve. Urgent and sustained actions are required if Ireland is to meet these EU targets, including the further roll-out of source-segregated collections, recovery of organic waste and development of infrastructure for the pre-treatment of municipal waste prior to disposal.

The EPA has published guidance on municipal waste pre-treatment and has reviewed all the municipal waste landfill licences in Ireland to include appropriate pre-treatment licence conditions. This will greatly assist in Ireland’s compliance efforts with the Landfill Directive by restricting the amount of biodegradable municipal waste allowed to be landfilled.

However, further priority actions for biodegradable municipal waste management in Ireland are recommended in the report. They include the need to:

* Ensure there is adequate infrastructure to treat the very large quantities of organic (particularly food) waste that must be collected separately and diverted from landfill and also for the organic component of the mixed residual waste stream;

* Develop outlets for the products of such treatment;

* Update and clarify national waste policy;

* Promote food waste prevention through National Waste Prevention Programme initiatives;

* Put in place services for the separate collection of organic (particularly food) waste at households and commercial premises in all local authority functional areas;
Improve penetration of educational material to households on the use of the third (organics) bin and,

* Formulate and implement regulations/bye-laws that can be used to require the segregation and separate collection of food waste at household premises.

Laura Burke continues: “The new EU Waste Framework Directive, which came into effect in December 2010, will be a significant influence and driver of change in waste management practices and governance in Ireland and elsewhere over the coming decade. In line with EU objectives, the EPA’s National Waste Prevention Programme focuses on breaking the link between economic growth and waste. Through this programme the EPA is developing waste prevention and resource efficiency capacity in the areas of waste and water in particular. Such actions can assist everyone, in households and businesses alike, to improve resource efficiency and significantly cut costs.”

The extent of the potential for anaerobic digestion has yet to be realised in Ireland, according to an expert consultant from WYG, the international professional services group. Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to release energy. It is widely used as part of the process to treat wastewater.

WYG recently strengthened its growing specialism of anaerobic digestion (AD) with the appointment of expert Dr Kevin Monson who is based in Dublin.

With over ten years experience in the anaerobic digestion field, Kevin Monson believes that the full potential for AD has not yet been realised in Ireland. He says: “Anaerobic digestion, having widely been used as a wastewater treatment option, has now evolved into a viable organic wastes treatment technology that can be utilised as a means to divert many organic wastes from landfill. Anaerobic digestion is also increasingly seen as a renewable energy technology, and in many cases the production of renewable energy (rather than the treatment of wastes) may be the primary driver.”

He adds: “As well as the municipal wastes sector, the anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes (and energy crops) has real potential in rural Ireland. We can educate and advise farmers and land-owners of the options available to them to optimise their agricultural waste management, and support them to take anaerobic digestion projects from conceptual idea to project realisation, resulting in an increase in the number of operational and profitable anaerobic digestion plants.”

The EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE) has published its ‘Focus on Landfilling in Ireland’ report. The report examines the standards of operation and management at landfills in Ireland and charts the progress made since the EPA began licensing this sector 15 years ago.

The report charts the fall in the number of municipal waste landfills over the last 15 years, falling from almost 100 landfills in 1995 to 30 facilities today, all of which are licenced to operate by the EPA. During this time, there has been a dramatic improvement in the performance indicators for landfills.

“Regulation of the waste sector has been a driver for improved standards and better environmental outcomes. Landfills are subject to a rigorous enforcement regime, without which we would have more pollution,” comments Dara Lynott, director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.

The EPA report also sets out the challenge facing Ireland to divert enough biodegradable waste from landfills to meet increasing targets set by Europe. Additional waste infrastructure will be needed to treat this kind of waste and more markets are needed for the resulting compost.

Dara Lynott, director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Dara Lynott adds: “Over a million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste went to landfill in 2008 and this figure has to drop by 750,000 in 2016 to meet EU targets.”

The report highlights the compliance and enforcement issues that remain with this sector in particular the fact that 71% of all complaints against licensed facilities related to odour nuisance.

In response to these compliance issues the EPA reports shows:

* 15 landfill operators were prosecuted between 2001 and 2009. Fines and costs totalled Eur261,188.

* 434 audits and inspections of landfills were undertaken by EPA inspectors in 2008/2009 in addition to almost 200 monitoring visits to sample surface water, groundwater, leachate and landfill gas.

* 207 Notices of Non-Compliance were issued to landfills in 2008/2009.

The EPA has identified compliance priorities for the landfill sector that will be the focus of its enforcement effort.

Kieran O’ Brien, programme manager in the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, says: “Future EPA enforcement effort will be targeted at compliance priorities to ensure that Ireland fully complies with EU obligations under the landfill directive and achieves successful outcomes for our environment.”

The compliance priorities include:

* Diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) away from landfill;

* Management of landfill gas and odour;

* Financial provision for environmental liabilities;

* Dealing with legacy landfills.

The report Focus on Landfilling in Ireland is available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/waste/stats/.