Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1443. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the different items that are allowed in green or black bins and the way in which his Department plans to educate persons on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37729/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Since 2013, a series of Regulations have been introduced to deal with the disposal of food waste and bio-waste. As part of this phased introduction, brown bins have been introduced on a gradual basis, starting in the largest population centres and extending to smaller centres of population. The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 430 of 2015) are designed to promote the segregation and recovery of household food waste. Regulations 6 and 7 impose obligations on householders, which inter alia, require householders who avail of a household waste collection service, and are supplied with a food waste bin in line with the Regulations, to place food waste in the food waste bin. My Department has worked with the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland to develop a website, , to provide the public with the information required to use the brown bin appropriately. This includes advice on the types of material which should and should not be placed in a household brown bin and guidance on food waste prevention and home composting.

The Seventh Schedule to the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, requires kerbside household waste collectors to accept a minimum list of recyclable household waste materials. Collectors also may accept additional mixed dry recyclable household waste items.

Residual household kerbside waste, as defined in the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, which is not food waste or recyclable household waste, should be placed in the residual bin.  

All Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and waste batteries must be recycled and should not be placed in any household wheelie bins. WEEE is taken back free of charge in electrical retail stores on a one-for-one, like-for-like basis while waste batteries are taken back free of charge in all stores selling batteries with no obligation to make a purchase when returning old batteries. Each local authority also accepts household WEEE and small batteries free of charge at its recycling facilities.

Hazardous waste items should not be presented with normal household waste, i.e. in the mixed black bin waste for collection. Instead, hazardous waste should be separated at source (in the home) and brought to local authority recycling facilities for safe disposal.

The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices (RWMPOs) are running a comprehensive ongoing waste campaign in 2017. This campaign includes a programme of education and awareness using radio and cinema advertisements to encourage the use of brown bin and focusing on food waste prevention, backed up with social media campaigns; the development of a master recycling programme by the RWMPOs, working with the environmental pillar, to roll out workshops across the country training recycling ambassadors to bring the recycling message and understanding to a wide variety of communities; and, a billboard campaign to promote the prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste. The Department is also running a campaign on the phasing out of flat flee charges for household waste collection. The Department and the RWMPOs will assist households on how they can reduce and control their own domestic waste costs while preventing the creation of greater waste problems for future generations; further details available at: