Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017
1019. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the items allowed in black and green bins; the position with regard to green waste including branches, soils and grass; the steps being taken by his Department to educate persons on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34323/17]
View answerThe European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 430 of 2015) are designed to promote the segregation and recovery of household food waste. Regulations 6 and 7 impose obligations on householders, which inter alia, require householders who avail of a household waste collection service, and are supplied with a food waste bin in line with the Regulations, to place food waste in the food waste bin. Alternatively, a householder may subject the food waste to a home composting process or bring the food to an appropriate authorised waste facility. A collector may also offer a service to collect garden and/or other suitable bio-waste in the food waste bin. My Department has worked with the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland to develop a website, www.brownbin.ie, to provide the public with the information required to use the brown bin appropriately. This includes advice on the types of material which should and should not be in placed in a household brown bin and guidance on food waste prevention and home composting. The Seventh Schedule to the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, requires kerbside household waste collectors to accept a minimum list of recyclable household waste materials. Collectors also may accept additional mixed dry recyclable household waste items.
Residual household kerbside waste, as defined in the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, which is not food waste or recyclable household waste, should be placed in the residual bin.
A campaign developed by the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices focusing on reducing food waste generation and also encouraging the use of brown bin ran throughout March 2017, comprising radio and cinema advertisements and backed up by a social media campaign. Further campaigns will be rolled out over the second half of 2017 addressing issues such as food waste, waste prevention, how per lift and weight based charging models work and increasing and improving recycling.
