The illegal exportation and dumping of recycled waste harms Ireland's progress, writes Nuala Ahern
The recent debate about incineration has seen many calls for more recycling. Irish people have indeed taken to recycling with enthusiasm, even zeal. With more and more awareness about the state of the planet, each of us wants to play our part, and recycling helps our need to take action and do the right thing. All kinds of organisations are involved, and schools are among the most active supporters of events such as national recycling week. Electronic and electrical waste recycling figures in particular are very impressive, with Ireland achieving twice the EU targets for this waste.
This is all good news. But are people being misled about what happens to the waste collected with enthusiasm and effort? Is the waste being recycled as promised? At present about 83 per cent of the waste in Ireland collected for recycling or recovery is exported; this includes almost all cardboard, paper and plastic collected at recycling facilities around the country. The movement of such large volumes of waste needs to be properly policed and controlled to prevent illegal waste activity.
Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show much of this is to another EU state; however, evidence has emerged which demonstrates that much of this is simply re-exported to the developing world, particularly China, through Rotterdam, Antwerp or Zeebrugge, which have been the European points of departure for much of this waste, and to India through the British port of Southampton.
Waste often arrives baled together in a mixed way that prevents easy recycling. It also contains contaminants. Because of this China recently tightened its regulations, as thousands of container loads lie backlogged in her ports, much of it mixed waste difficult to process. The end result of this mingling of waste is that it is impossible to recover and has to be dumped. It can also constitute a health hazard.
Two levels of control exist for the classifying of waste or recovery (recycling): "amber" list level of control, which requires prior written consent, and "green" list level of control, which requires no prior written consent.
Constant monitoring is required, as changing the level of control from amber to green will permit waste to be traded unhindered.
Some of this mixed waste from Ireland has been found by Dutch authorities in recent years to be illegally exported as green waste or sorted into categories such a paper and plastic, whereas in fact it is mixed waste.
For example, the EPA was notified in 2004 that the Dutch authorities in Rotterdam had discovered 11 containers of waste destined for India from Irish company Bailey Waste Paper Co Ltd and determined that the waste involved was amber list waste. The waste was baled and comprised recyclable materials such as newspapers, magazines, plastic film, and containers such as milk bottles, cardboard and cans. The materials were contaminated by residues.
This waste had been shipped as green list waste for recovery and therefore the relevant authorities had not been notified of the proposed shipments. The shipment was deemed to be illegal traffic, and had to be returned to the country of export.
Exactly the same infringements by the same company were found by the Belgian authority of transit when it examined Irish containers of green waste destined for India and Hong Kong in the port of Antwerp. (Source: EPA national waste database)
Regulating the movement of waste between EU member states and between the EU and other countries is a complex business. From July 12th, 2007, Dublin City Council was designated as the national office for the export of waste shipments. This has streamlined the system and makes it easier to enforce regulations to prevent the illegal shipment of waste abroad.
This is welcome, but it is 10 years later than equivalent controls in other member states.
Organisations such as Repak, which exists to enable Irish industry to meet legal obligations to comply with the EU packaging directive, need to ensure their waste brokers are complying with the rules; Repak is funded by levies from industry. It is the only such scheme in Ireland and is licensed by the Department of the Environment. Repak says it has recently inspected sites in China and is satisfied that these are compliant with the requirements. Exports to India must also be monitored.
However, in particular Repak needs to ensure that the relevant Chinese import licences for the various grades of waste for the waste it is responsible for, and the permits for delivery to final destinations, are complied with. Repak cannot leave this to the waste operators as heretofore.
The Department of the Environment needs to act to encourage the development of reclaiming recyclables within the island of Ireland. However, it is difficult to make this financially viable while an unregulated free-for-all operates in the exported recycling sector. What is most worrying is that the amount of materials recycled within Ireland is declining.
A total of 234,696 tonnes of material was recycled in Ireland in 2005, a decrease of 25 per cent compared with 2004. The overall proportion of waste recycled in Ireland dropped to 17 per cent in 2005 from 26 per cent in 2004. Ireland has become increasingly dependent on foreign recycling infrastructure, with 83 per cent of recyclable materials exported.
There are no significant facilities for glass recycling in the Republic of Ireland, and with the closure of a paper mill in 2005 only 2.6 per cent of recyclable paper and cardboard was recycled in Ireland compared with 31 per cent in 2004.
The UK was the principal destination for paper reprocessing, accounting for 39 per cent of the total, while a significant quantity was exported to Asia.
We need to reverse this trend and promote commercially viable recycling of materials on the island of Ireland. This cannot happen if waste is illegally exported to China and India, where the end result for much of it would appear to be not recycling, but dumping on the environment of the developing world, resulting in huge health and environmental costs for its peoples.
• Nuala Ahernis a former Green Party member of the European Parliament.