Waste Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017

Monday, 11 September 2017

Questions (1472)

John Lahart

Question:

1472. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the items that may be placed by persons in the black bin for household waste, brown bin for organic and food waste and green bin for recyclable material; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38577/17]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The 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. Further information is available to download at http://www.brownbin.ie/.

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 was run in March and August of 2017, comprising of radio and cinema advertisements and backed up by a social media campaign.  Further campaigns are being rolled out over the second half of 2017 to assist householders to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste.