Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. Bulky household goods, such as mattresses, are a problematic waste stream for local authorities when they are illegally dumped in ditches and green areas. They are unsightly and their presence generally encourages further illegal dumping in an area. That is why my Department provided funding under the 2018 anti-dumping initiative to support a mattress amnesty campaign nationally. Under this initiative, approximately 11,000 mattresses were collected at 40 events throughout the country, with local authorities encouraged to direct these mattresses to the network of social economy enterprises for recycling. On foot of the impact of last year’s initiative, I am considering, as part of the 2019 anti-dumping initiative, to targeting the problem of illegal dumping in a holistic manner. That may also mean addressing bulky waste diversion.

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