COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 11, 2013

QUESTION NO.9

QUESTION: Councillor J. Lahart

To ask the Manager whether any inspections of wheelie bins are undertaken by the council to ensure that the appropriate materials are being disposed of in individual bins by householders?

REPLY:

In late 2009/early 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the licences of all waste disposal facilities in the country to impose a regime designed to ensure compliance with the waste framework directive and the resultant landfill diversion targets. The aim of this regime was to ensure that all waste would undergo pre-treatment before being accepted into the disposal facility network. Operators must therefore satisfy themselves that any waste accepted has been adequately pre-treated prior to acceptance or risk losing their facility licence.

The pre-treatment requirement can be satisfied in a number of ways varying from the preferred 3 bin system to MBT. The pre-treatment requirement is the main instrument through which the state ensures that cross contamination in minimised and this is mainly enforced against the Sectors Operators through Waste Licensing and Permitting regulation.

The Council's Litter Wardens have powers under the Waste Management Acts and the Council's Bye Laws to inspect individual bins and take enforcement action against householders.