The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will be reviewing EPA licences for landfills, to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill.

This will:
* Maximise the use and value of waste before it is disposed of to landfill
* Assist compliance with the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC)
* Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and
* Reduce the potential for odour at landfills.


The management, processing and disposal of waste continue to be significant challenges in Ireland, in particular with regard to meeting obligations on the pre-treatment and disposal of waste at landfills as required under the EU Landfill Directive. In order to assist Ireland’s compliance with the Landfill Directive, the EPA will review landfill licences, restricting the quantity of biodegradable household and commercial waste that can be accepted by landfill operators.

Commenting on the review process, Ms. Laura Burke, Director of the EPA’s Office of Climate Change, Licensing and Resource Use said: “The landfill licence review is another vital step in the way we manage waste in Ireland. Our aim is to make the best possible use of all waste before it is finally disposed of. People in Ireland have clearly demonstrated their willingness to recycle paper, plastic and glass. We must now help them to do the same with food waste. If the waste can be recycled or recovered, then it should not be going to landfill.”

The EPA has also published a Technical Guidance document entitled Municipal Solid Waste: Pre-treatment and Residuals Management to clarify the pre-treatment requirements for municipal waste for disposal at EPA licensed facilities. This Guidance document was produced following widespread consultation with waste operators, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and industry representative groups.

The Guidance document applies to operators and developers of both landfills and incinerators and indicates to the waste industry as a whole what it must do to improve overall performance in the coming years. The guidance will require operators of landfill and incineration facilities to demonstrate, via their waste acceptance policy, that waste accepted at these facilities has been subjected to appropriate pre-treatment.

Dr Jonathan Derham, Senior Scientific Officer, EPA explained: “If no action is taken, Ireland will overshoot the first EU target for biodegradable waste to landfill in 2010 by 50 per cent or 500,000 tonnes. Taking out biodegradable waste at source is required to comply with the Landfill Directive and also reduces the potential for odour issues in the future. That, coupled with the introduction of increased landfill levies later this year, will further assist in maximising recycling and recovery rates for waste and minimising the environmental burden of waste disposal activities.”

Quelle: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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