Recycling rises in Northern Ireland

The Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland (EHSNI) hasjust published its full report on municipal waste management for 2005/06, which show a 24.5% household recycling rate, an increase from 18.9% on the previous year.

Antrim Borough Council topped the league with a 44% recycling/composting rate and Belfast City Council recycled the least of the 26 councils, with 14.4%.

Around 75.5% of the region's total municipal waste was disposed of in landfill which fell from 81.8% in 2004/05. In the same period, the total amount of municipal waste collected increased by 1.2%.

The report is a comprehensive and extended version of the summary report released last December. It includes breakdowns on the type of material collected from bring banks and the kerbside, as well as league tables and rates.

For example, based on tonnages, more green waste was collected from both banks and kerbsides than any other material. Scrap metal and glass accounted for around 5% each.

The report pointed out that Northern Ireland's municipal waste is managed mainly through recycling, composting and landfill, with a small amount being reused.

It added: “Landfill remains the only disposal method used by district councils in 2005/06.”

MBT 

Northern Ireland has 26 councils, which have formed together as three waste partnerships and all are interested in mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and energy recovery.

Arc21 covers 11 councils in the east of the region and policy director Ricky Burnett said the partnership would be “looking at making a concentrated effort in terms of waste minimisation and then build on kerbside collections”. Plans include rolling-out commingled collections of garden and food waste

But he added: “Even if we perfect this to high standards we still have to do something about residual waste”

Arc21 is finalising its plans and intends to have an MBT plant operational by 2010 and an energy-from-waste facility up-and-running by 2012.

The other two partnerships – the North West Region Waste Management Group (NWRWMG) made up of seven councils in the north-west and the Southern Waste Management Partnership (SWaMP) – made up of the remaining eight councils in the south – have outlined proposals in waste management plans.

NWRWMG is aiming to have two MBT plans operational by 2009/10 with a joint capacity of 110-120,000 tonnes-per-annum. It also plans to have an energy recovery facility to produce fuel for electricity and heat.

SWaMP wants three MBT facilities with a joint 160-180,000 tonne-per-annum capacity up-and-running by 2009/10. It too wants to produce fuel and aims to find end-markets by 2012/13.