Vol. 522 No. 4
1 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the recently published national waste database report for 1998 states that there has been a reduction in the recovery rate from municipal waste since 1995; the implications this has for his target recovery rate of such waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18842/00]
There has been an increase in the recovery rate for municipal waste since 1995. In this regard, the Environmental Protection Agency's national waste database report for 1998 states that the national recovery rate for the combined household and commercial waste stream in 1998 was estimated at 9% compared to 7.8% in 1995. The increase in recovery activity has been predominantly in the commercial sector, where the recovery rate has increased from 15.3% in 1995 to 18.7% in 1998.
In real terms, the total quantity of municipal waste which was recovered increased from about 118,000 tonnes in 1995 to almost 167,000 tonnes in 1998, an increase of 42% over the three year period. However, this was accompanied by a significant increase in overall municipal waste arisings.
The EPA cautions that care must be taken in making comparisons between 1998 data and those in the preceding report for 1995. Nevertheless, broadly speaking, the findings of the national waste database report for 1998 point to increasing waste generation, limited waste management infrastructure and considerable scope for improved recycling and recovery of waste. The findings also reinforce the need for concerted action to prevent and minimise waste generation and put waste management on a modern footing.
The report clearly underlines the challenge inherent in meeting the Government's targets for the recovery and disposal of waste, as set out in the policy statement, Changing our Ways, and the importance of adopting and vigorously implementing the local and regional waste management plans that are currently being finalised. These plans provide for practical measures to minimise municipal and industrial waste generation, as well as the development of improved waste services and an integrated waste management infrastructure to meet our waste recovery targets. I am confident they will lay a solid foundation for sustained improvement in our waste management performance.
To quote from the recent national waste database report—
The Deputy cannot quote during Question Time.
I will say it from memory. It stated there was a reduction in the level of household waste reused between 1995 and 1998. That was the basis of my question. We can quote as many figures as we like. However, the fact is the amount of waste produced in this country has increased, yet the level of reuse as a percentage of that waste has decreased. My question related to the performance target recovery rates set by the Government for itself. How are we to meet these rates if the level continues to decrease? The absence of an infrastructure for the separation, collection and recovery of commercial, construction and electrical waste is the essence of the problem. While every city, county and region can produce waste management plans, unless the infrastructure to recycle waste is in place it will not happen.
There has been a slight reduction in domestic waste due to the fall off in the collection of waste paper from householders. We generate 80 million tonnes of waste per year in this country, 65 million tonnes of which come from agriculture and 2 million tonnes from domestic waste. That is the challenge ahead.
The Government's development plan for 2000-06 has earmarked £650 million for infrastructure, £100 million of which is coming from the Exchequer and the EU. There is a comprehensive approach to waste management. While I accept we have a long way to go, we have achieved a great deal. An increase in the recovery of waste from 118,000 tonnes to 167,000 tonnes is no mean achievement. However, I accept there is a lot to be done. The Government's policies are laid out in the Changing our Ways policy statement.
There is no point in dismissing the local authority and regional plans because they will be the basis for our whole approach to dealing with our waste. Twenty of the 34 local authorities have their plans in place and I am confident that working closely with them and the provision of resources will deal with this problem over the years.
It is not all negative; there are positive aspects. The number of bring-banks has doubled since 1995 from 400 to 800. The number of active local authority landfill sites has decreased from 87 to 50 since 1995. It has been estimated that 43% of the 2.7 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste going into landfill was recovered. I accept there is a long way to go, but we must work together. The local authority and regional plans have a vital role to play in the management of our waste.
