Limerick has been chosen by the Department of the Environment for a £2 million pilot project for domestic waste reduction. If the Limerick Corporation experiment is successful, it will be adopted elsewhere. The corporation will test a system for composting vegetable peelings, scrapings off plates, cardboard and newspapers and other organic waste. It is envisaged that this will reduce the rubbish going into landfill by 30 per cent. During April, each household will be given a green bin free of charge while the existing bin will be used for all other refuse. The compost will be re used as cover material for landfill, for road verges and for sale to gardeners if the required purity levels are attained. It will also be suitable for producing briquettes.
Mr Pat Eyres, senior executive engineer, Limerick Corporation, said putting green waste in landfills led to rotting and the production of gases harmful to the ozone layer.