Written answers

Thursday, 20 October 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Waste Management

5:00 pm

Photo of Eric ByrneEric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the application of the €50 per tonne landfill levy being demanded from customers in the private domestic market, whereby irrespective of the number of bins left for collection a charge per weight would be more appropriate for those who are dedicated to recycling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30613/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The landfill levy is chargeable on waste presented for disposal at landfill facilities. The increase in the levy to €50 per tonne which I recently introduced is intended to send a strong price signal to the producers, collectors and managers of waste, to alter behaviour and to encourage a shift away from landfill to more sustainable management of waste. Further increases in the levy are also planned, to €65 per tonne in 2012 and €75 per tonne in 2013. I hope to see significantly improved levels of prevention, recovery, recycling and reuse of waste as a consequence of these increases. As the waste collection market is currently structured, the pricing schemes used by private waste collectors are a matter for determination as between the service providers and consumers of the service, subject, of course, to a service provider's collection permit and other legal responsibilities being complied with.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce competitive tendering for household waste collection, under which service providers will bid to provide waste collection services in a given area, for a given period of time and to a guaranteed level of service. A public consultation on the issues involved, designed to inform the policy development process, has recently concluded. The responses received are being examined and I intend to bring policy proposals to Government before the end of the year. The relative merits of different pricing schemes, including schemes which include a pay-by-weight component, will be among the issues considered during the Government's deliberations on the future approach to regulating household waste collection markets.

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some private waste collectors are making it optional for customers to take a brown bin; the steps he is taking to ensure that private waste collectors take measures to reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30657/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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A number of local authorities, through conditions attached to Waste Collection Permits, require waste collectors to provide a 3-bin service, including the brown bin for organic material, to a set percentage of the households served. In 2009, the number of local authority areas where household brown bin waste was collected at kerbside increased to 22 from 16 in 2008. I am anxious to see an intensification of measures to achieve more appropriate collection and treatment of household organic wastes. A Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) on a set of draft regulations is being finalised currently which, if brought into operation, would have the effect of requiring authorised waste collectors to provide a food waste collection service to households on a phased basis. I expect to complete the RIA and make a decision in respect of the proposed regulations before the end of the year.

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