Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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797. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the details of the green bin charges that will come into effect from 1 July 2016 and if there is scope to delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7010/16]

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, which places the prevention of waste at the pinnacle of the hierarchy. 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 2016 , collectors of household waste are required to apply PBW charges for the collection of the recyclate, food waste and residual bins. Requiring that a ‘visible’ charge is applied to the three bins removes the ‘hidden’ charge for collecting recyclate which is often concealed in other fees. There is a net cost associated with collecting and managing mixed dry recyclate. Waste operators do not currently collect recyclate ‘for free’ as such; some already charge on a per- lift or PBW basis, while other companies include the cost of collecting the recyclate bin in their charges for collecting the residual bin or as part of a flat fee or service fee. The introduction of PBW for the 3 bins will remove waste companies’ ability to conceal the charge of managing recyclate and incentivise the householder to reduce waste, including recyclable waste.

The Waste Management (Collection Permit) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 also require that the PBW charges reflect the waste hierarchy in terms of incentivising the use of the recyclate and food waste bins over the residual bin. Under the new charging system, the per kilogramme charges for recyclate and food waste must be lower than the ‘per kilogramme’ charge for residual waste. The Regulations further require that a minimum price per kilogramme be charged for the collection of each waste stream, so as to cover the cost of managing the waste after it has been collected and brought back to a facility. The minimum costs to be charged for collecting household waste are: recyclate 2 cent; food waste 6 cent; and residual waste 11 cent per kilogramme, to ensure that the polluter pays principle applies, in that at least the cost of treating the waste is being charged. A service fee may also be applied by an operator.

The PBW charging mechanism gives households more control over their waste costs. 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.