Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 February 2016
514. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the domestic pay-by-weight waste management charges scheduled for introduction in July 2016 that will be imposed on commercial waste customers as of the same date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4051/16]
View answer515. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the consultation process being undertaken in the development of the charging mechanisms which will be introduced for commercial waste collections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4053/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 514 and 515 together.
Pay-by-weight will come into effect for household waste only from 1 July 2016. It will not at that time be applied to commercial waste. However, it is planned to introduce legislation in the second half of 2016 to provide for the application of pay-by-weight to commercial waste. Consultations will be held with the waste industry, representatives of the business community and other stakeholders in the waste sector in advance of the introduction of pay-by-weight for commercial waste.
The per kilogram charge for household waste is set to cover the cost of sustainably treating the waste after it is first tipped at a collector’s depot or a waste facility. It covers the cost from there onwards of transporting and treating or disposing of the waste. Therefore the cost per kilogram of treating each of the waste streams is not related to how it is generated (i.e. by households or commercial entities) and it is not expected that there would be any material difference between commercial and household collections. Any service charge will be a matter for the waste collector to decide and will be dependent on open market conditions.
