Written answers

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Waste Disposal

9:00 pm

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the markets he has identified as being interested in purchasing the product of mechanical biological treatment in view of the need for such markets to be available if mechanical biological treatment is to be sustainable as a waste management option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28704/07]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to the introduction of mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facilities as one of a range of technologies to meet targets for diverting biodegradable waste from landfill required under the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC). High quality mechanical and biological treatment of residual municipal waste generates a number of outputs and will contribute to further improvements in municipal waste recovery and recycling and a reduction in reliance on landfill. Current prices indicate that demand for plastics and metals, including those extracted during the MBT process, remains at a high level.

Solid recovered fuel (SRF), the output of the mechanical separation phase of MBT, can be used as a fuel in an incineration plant or co-incinerated in cement kiln or power generation plant. The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) is currently developing a standard for SRF to standardise the classification of solid recovered fuels and to establish their acceptability in the fuel market across the European Union.

In Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Research Technological Development and Innovation (ERTDI) Programme 2000-2006 issued a Call for proposals in the area of Waste and Resource Management in July 2005. Theme Two related to Developing Sustainable Organic Waste Management and Composting and a study now being carried out into the potential contribution of MBT to biodegradable municipal waste management in Ireland will inform future policy.

In addition, a Market Development Programme for Waste Resources 2007-2011 was published in April 2007. The purpose of the Programme is to promote stable demand for recovered materials, including materials recovered at MBT plants, and to support the achievement of economies of scale in the production of products made from recycled materials, as well as the need for more recycling infrastructure in Ireland to reduce reliance on overseas markets. The Programme also seeks to identify new applications and markets for recyclable material and secondary recycled products. Implementation arrangements for the Programme will be put in place shortly.

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