Kilkenny recycling initiative cuts waste by 40%

There has been a 40 per cent drop in commercial waste arriving at Kilkenny County Council's Dunmore landfill since the introduction of a recycling initiative last month.

Kilkenny's success in dramatically cutting the amount of waste being dumped at its landfill suggests the public is willing to co-operate with such initiatives if local authorities provide a lead.

Recyclable commercial and industrial waste was banned from the Dunmore site on September 17th, following discussions between the council and local business representatives. Cardboard, glass, newspapers, magazines, cans and other recyclables accounted for more than 60 per cent of the waste discharged by business and industry in Kilkenny.

Mr Philip O'Neill, the council's director of services with responsibility for the environment, said the strategy of phasing in restrictions in partnership with the business community was working.

He cited the example of one company which, until the week before last, was disposing of a large skip of waste twice a week. It was now recycling glass, cans, cardboard and plastic and was planning to set up a composting scheme for food waste. These efforts would yield a waste reduction of 80 to 90 per cent, he said.

Waterford County Council is going a step further from next month when householders will be asked to separate dry recyclable goods for collection once every four weeks. The standard wheelie-bin collection will take place in the remaining weeks.

No other local authority in the State has undertaken such an ambitious waste reduction project, according to the council. "Previously, the view has been taken that these type of kerbside collections only work in built-up areas," said the council chairman, Mr Ollie Wilkinson.

"However, we felt it was also vital to include low-density rural areas in this scheme just as we do in our standard wheelie-bin collection runs." The council has signed an agreement with a Lismore company, Samshire Recycling Ltd, which successfully tendered for the recycling contract earlier this year.

Samshire is to provide a material recovery facility in Lismore, to which dry recyclable material from all parts of the county will be brought for processing. In addition, Repak, the not-for-profit company established by industry and the Department of the Environment and Local Government, will provide a subsidy to the council based on the amount of packaging waste collected for recycling.

Under the new scheme householders will be given clear plastic sacks, initially free, for materials including cardboard, newspapers, magazines, washed milk and juice cartons, plastic, drink cans and food tins. Ultimately it is hoped to replace the sacks with dedicated bins for recyclable material.

"From early next month," said Mr Wilkinson, "householders in every part of Co Waterford will be asked to take a moment each time they are disposing of waste in their home to decide whether it is suitable for recycling under this scheme.

If it is, they will simply be required to put it in one of the bags and the council will subsequently collect."

The necessity for the initiative was emphasised by the county manager, Mr Donal Connolly. "Domestic or household waste in Co Waterford each year amounts to 15,000 tonnes," he said.