Waste Collection Companies are required to hold a waste collection permit in order to collect waste in line with the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended. Waste collection permits are issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office, which is the nominated authority to issue permits on behalf of all local authorities.
Condition 6.6.26 of the permits contains the requirement for collectors to charge fees which encourage customers to segregate their waste and states:
"The permit holder shall operate an incentivised charging system to ensure that the fees charged to collect household kerbside waste, in the reasonable opinion and to the satisfaction of the nominated authority respect the polluter pays principle and incentivise the segregation of recyclables and food waste or as the case may be, bio-waste and discourage such waste from being mixed with residual household waste by the householder in accordance with the waste hierarchy and section 21A of the act.
The permit holder shall ensure that the fees charged to collect residual household waste are not a "flat rate fee" i.e. a fixed, periodic fee which covers the cost of collection over a defined period of time, regardless or the weight or residual waste presented or the number of presentation of residual waste.
Pricing structures may contain a service fee or standing charge, but shall contain a weight based/or per lift fee for the collection of residual waste. Where a service fee is applied as part of an incentivised charging system, the level of the service fee shall not negate the incentive to segregate waste to the satisfaction of the nominated authority. Where a fee is charged for the collection of recyclable, food waste and bio-waste as the case may be, that fee shall not negate the incentive to segregate waste to the satisfaction of the nominated authority and shall be lower than the fees applied for the collection of residual household waste.
Any "flat rate fees" currently in operation shall be phased out as follows:
i. New customers or renewing customers cannot be offered a flat rate fee for residual household waste from 30 September 2017;
ii. Customers who have a contract and are on a flat rate fee on 30 September 2017 cannot be offered a flat rate fee for residual household waste when they next review their contract' and
iii. Customers who are on a contract greater than 12 months on 30 September 2017 cannot remain on a flat rate fee for residual household waste collection after 30 September 2018."
