Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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779. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the planned pay-by-weight refuse collection programme due to commence on 1 July 2016, including the level of engagement from refuse collection companies; if data will be supplied to support his statement that the new system will result in savings for 90% of households; the supply costings involved, comparing the old and new systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6226/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented, in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay-by- weight (PBW) charges for the collection of household waste is one such measure.

From 1 July 2015, the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2015 required that household kerbside waste collected in approved reusable receptacles (such as bins or caddies) must be weighed by appropriate weighing systems and that this weight reported to the householder at a frequency of at least once a month.

Roll-out of those requirements was very positive, with local authorities and industry engaging on an extensive compliance assistance programme. By end July 2015, over 80% of all household waste collectors were compliant with the 2015 legislation. The majority of those not fully compliant at that time had either equipped their fleet but not had the weighing mechanism calibrated or had ordered but not yet installed the technology.

Amendments to the Waste Management Act 1996, introduced through the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015, provide the necessary enabling powers to facilitate mandatory chargingfor household waste collection on a PBW basis and the new charging regime will come in to operation on 1 July 2016. The Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2016 provide, inter alia, for the introduction of new permit conditions for collectors of household waste, including the obligation to charge on a PBW basis. Local authorities and industry have already begun engaging on a second compliance assistance programme ahead of the 1 July 2016 deadline.

It is important to note that some households are already being charged on a PBW basis.

This charging mechanism gives households more control over their waste costs and data from county Leitrim, where PBW was introduced in December 2014, estimated an overall saving of approximately 20% under PBW when compared with pay per lift or flat charge schemes that operated in that local authority area.

However, it is important that all households prevent waste where possible and ensure that they correctly use the food waste and recycling bins to minimise costs. The less waste you generate and the more you recycle, the less you will pay under PBW: an awareness and education campaign will be rolled out shortly which will assist householders in this regard.

It is also important to note that waste management costs may vary over time due to market factors such as fluctuations in labour, fuel, treatment or export costs, regardless of the charging mechanism used to collect waste. However, as set out above, under PBW, householders will now have more control over their costs and will have an opportunity and incentive to minimise such costs.