WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE DUBLIN REGION 2005 - 2010 EVALUATION REPORT November 2012 Dublin Waste Plan Evaluation Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 2 LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS ............................................................................................. 2 3 OVERARCHING POLICY .......................................................................................................... 3 4 WASTE PREVENTION .............................................................................................................. 8 5 HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................. 13 6 COMMERCIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 21 7 MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT .................................................................................... 26 8 CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT ........................................... 30 9 OTHER WASTE STREAMS .................................................................................................... 35 9.1 WEEE .......................................................................................................................... 35 9.2 END OF LIFE VEHICLES (ELVS) AND TYRES..................................................................... 37 9.3 BATTERIES AND HOUHSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES ...................................................... 39 9.4 OTHER NON HAZARDOUS AND HAZARDOUS WASTE STREAMS .......................................... 42 10 INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................ 44 11 RECOMMENDATION .............................................................................................................. 49 LIST OF FIGURES ------ LIST OF TABLES ------ APPENDICES APPENDIX A Existing Plan Policy Objectives 12 Pages APPENDIX B Waste Legislative Requirements 3 Pages APPENDIX C Capacity Review 11 Pages MDR0927RP0001 i Rev F01 Dublin Waste Plan Evaluation Report 1 INTRODUCTION Under the transposing regulations (S.I. 126 of 2011) of the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) there is a requirement on all local authorities to evaluate existing waste management plans by 31 December 2012 and, consequent to such an evaluation, to revise plans as appropriate. In compliance with this statutory requirement the Dublin Local Authorities1 have completed an evaluation of the Dublin Waste Plan2 (hereafter the Plan) which was published in November 2005. When issued the period of the Plan extended to five years. The evaluation process commenced with the publication of a public notice by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) in January 2012. The notice was taken out in a national newspaper on behalf of the waste regions. The evaluation of the Plan provides an opportunity for Dublin Local Authorities to review the previous period assessing the rate of implementation of key policy objectives3 and progress towards the Plan targets. It is not only a backward looking exercise. The requirements of important European and National waste legislation and policy, which have come into effect since the publication of the previous Plan, need to be considered to ensure these are being taken account of. Lastly the evaluation needs to examine the implication for the environment if objectives and legislative requirements are not met. The outcome of the evaluation is a decision by the local authorities to revise or replace the Plan, refer to Section 11 for the decision taken. The completed evaluation will inform the next stage of the Plan process. The Minister has signalled the intention to revise the arrangement of the existing waste regions and it is expected that Dublin will be part of a wider eastern region. A workshop was held in August 2012 which was attended by representatives of each of the local authorities and RPS. The aim of the workshop was to facilitate a round table discussion on the delivery of key objectives from the current Dublin Waste Plan. The outcome of the workshop fed into the preparation of this evaluation document. 1 Dublin City Council (DCC) as Lead authority, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC), Fingal County Council (FCC) and South Dublin County Council (SDCC). 2 Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region 2005 to 2010 3 All of the policy objectives from the existing Waste Plan are saved in Appendix A. Over 120 objectives were contained in the original Plan. For the purpose of the evaluation key objectives under each heading have been identified and are included in a text boxes at the start of each Section of the report. It is recommended that the number of objectives is substantially reduced in the next generation of the Plan. MDR0927RP0001 1 Rev F01 Dublin Waste Plan Evaluation Report 2 LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS As part of the evaluation it was necessary to examine the legislative requirements which have come into force since the publication of the Plan. The purpose is to assess if the existing objectives of the Plan meet the requirements of recent regulations. This will help inform the decision to revise or replace the existing objectives. 2.1 RECENT REGULATIONS A review of recent regulation has been completed and a non-exhaustive list of key statutory instruments is included in Appendix B. The waste regulations identified are deemed to be the most relevant in terms of the evaluation and the subsequent waste plan review process. The key requirements of these regulations have been considered as part of the evaluation exercise and are documented where relevant in Sections 3 to 10 of this report. 2.2 NATIONAL WASTE POLICY Since the evaluation process commenced the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government published a new national waste policy statement. The document entitled, A Resource Opportunity, sets out a number of policy actions which are important in the context of the evaluation process including: • Hierarchy – the revised 5 step waste hierarchy is part of the policy with a commitment to increased prevention, reuse and recycling activities. • A move away from landfill – the virtual elimination of landfill is set as a long-term goal with the introduction of landfill bans a possibility to ensure landfill diversion targets are met. The landfill levy is due to increase to €75 by mid-2013. • Brown Bin Roll-Out – new regulations will be introduced to mandate the collection of source segregated organics from households. A phased rollout over 4 years is planned. • Significant reduction of Planning Regions – the number of waste regions will be reduced from from ten to three, allowing for greater efficiency in the delivery of waste plan objectives. The principles of proximity and self-sufficiency are to be implemented to ensure that the state develops the necessary waste recovery infrastructure. • Household Waste Collection – side by side collection in the household market will remain in the short term with the collection permit system strengthened to ensure the implementation of the waste hierarchy, better service levels and incentivised pricing structures. The Competition Authority will maintain an ongoing oversight of the household waste collection markets to ensure that it works well, with their next formal review scheduled in 2016. • New Collection Service Standards – this will be introduced for the collection of household waste to ensure a minimum standard for the separate collection of residual waste, recyclables and organics. Charging structures will also be more transparent and consumers will be able to compare costs and switch operators at ease. • Placing responsibility on Householders to prove they use an authorised waste collection service or manage their waste in an environmentally acceptable manner. This will help combat illegal fly-tipping, littering and backyard burning of waste by a minority of households. • Compliance and Enforcement – a greater level of enforcement is required in the coming years at the household, commercial and industrial level with better use of resources across the different authorities. A team of Waste Enforcement Officers will be established for cases relating to serious criminal activity. MDR0927RP0001 2 Rev F01 Dublin Waste Plan Evaluation Report 3 OVERARCHING WASTE POLICY The Dublin Region’s overarching waste policy in the Plan sets out the framework to deliver integrated solutions and a sustainable waste management system. The policy statement is ambitious and aims to adhere to the principles of the EU Waste hierarchy and to deliver the Plan targets. The policy statement supports an environment where all citizens are entitled to equal and cost effective services as part of the best environmental performing system. Selected overarching objectives are reproduced below and have been identified as being significant in terms of delivering the overall policy aim in the Dublin Plan: Policy Statement 1. The integrated waste management approach will be applied to waste generated, implementing reuse, maximum recycling, recovery of energy from residual waste, and minimising landfill disposal where possible 2. It is a goal to create equity of access to waste management facilities and services across the Region 3. It is a goal to deliver a cost-effective and affordable system meeting the ‘polluter pays principle’ that meets high standards