COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, May 08, 2017
MOTION NO.5
MOTION: Councillor M. Ward
This Council agrees that the privatisation of domestic waste collection services has failed the people of South Dublin with poorer quality of service increase costs for households, negative environmental impacts and increased illegal dumping. This Council calls for the immediate remunicipalisation of waste management and furthermore requests that the Chief Executive conduct a review of the environmental impact of illegal dumping and the cost to the Council.
REPORT:
Background
South Dublin County Council exited the waste collection market at the end of March 2011 at which time it sold it’s waste collection business to Greyhound. The circumstances which led to this at the time were as follows-
- substantially reducing numbers of customers remaining with the Council service arising from increasing competition from private operators, giving rise to a substantially reduced income from the service
- increasing disposal costs which arose from the closure of the Council’s baled waste landfill
- at the time of sale of the service customer numbers had reduced by around 15,000 in the previous 6 to 9 months and at this time the deficit between the cost of the service and income generated was calculated at €14m per year.
South Dublin County Council does not propose to re-enter the domestic waste collection market. Since the sale of it’s service to Greyhound many other service providers have entered the South Dublin area. It would not be possible for the Council to complete with these private operators and gain a viable market share.
In 2012 the then Minister for the Environment launched a new waste policy which set out proposals to address many of the issues regarding domestic waste collection. Since then many new initiatives in the area of waste management have been introduced nationally some of which have been successful and some less so. For example the regulations regarding management of household food waste require both operators to provide this service and householders to use it and segregate food waste at source. The policy also included a proposal for a national waiver scheme however this has not as yet come to fruition.
Set out below are further details regarding the issue of illegal dumping of household waste. It should be noted that while a portion of the dumped waste and of the complaints received do relate to waste that would ordinarily go into the household waste bin, the stats also relate to dumping of other types of waste such as bulky waste etc.
Increased illegal dumping.
The following is the total annual litter and illegal dumping complaints received by SDCC from the public. Household waste makes up a part of this type of illegal dumping activity. SDCC is required to provide annual reporting to the EPA which in turn is used to identify national trends and possible areas for increased enforcement focus. From EPA classification fly tipping refers to 1 to 20 bags of rubbish, illegal dumping refers to greater than 20 bags (or equivalent quantity) of rubbish. From the data recorded the evidence presented does not indicate significant increased illegal dumping activity following the privatisation of the Waste Collection Service.
|
Year |
Number of Litter and Illegal Dumping Complaints Reported |
|
2009 |
5372 |
|
2010 |
3410 |
|
2011 |
5378 |
|
2012 |
4682 |
|
2013 |
3990 |
|
2014 |
3887 |
|
2015 |
3321 |
|
2016 |
4821 |
It should also be noted based on data provided from PURE the volume of illegal dumping collected by them all be it high is decreasing from 360 tonnes in 2006 to 233 tonnes in 2015.
Following from the annual returns made by each local authority to the EPA, National Priorities are identified. Within the 2017, list of national priorities the following specifically target the issue relating to illegal dumping.
In addition to recorded complaints the Council maintains data on weights of illegally dumped materials and other wastes collected. In 2011 the tonnage of illegally dumped waste collected was 1,830 tonnes while in 2016 it is recorded at 1,973 tonnes, an increase of 143 tonnes over the 6 year period. While this represents an increase which is undesirable it is a less than 8% increase over that 6 year period. The provision in the 2017 budget for collection and removal of illegally dumped waste is €1.4m and it is estimated that the 8% increase in tonnages handled (when compared with 2011 tonnages) would give rise to an increase in the annual cost of approx €112,000 calculated on a pro rata basis.
Household Waste Management – Brown Bin Compliance
All Local Authorities are carrying out national inspections on waste collectors with a particular focus on the level of brown bin compliance. The provision and use of Brown Bins by households can reduce the cost waste disposal for the householders. In accordance with SI No. 191 of 2015 European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio Waste) Regulations 2015, since July 2016 all households within population centres of 500 and above must be offered the service of a brown bin by their chosen waste collector. The current round of inspections is targeted to ensure the waste collectors are meeting their obligations and allowing households the opportunity to make savings.
Illegal Dumping
Each Local Authority has been tasked to provide increased focus on illegal dumping. SDCC in continued partnership with PURE are working closely together to address reported incidents of illegal dumping and where possible carry out prosecutions.
It should be noted the main incidents of reported illegal dumping relate to third parties collecting household waste from residents for a fee. In turn, the third party are dumping the waste illegally profiting from the householders and putting the cost on LA’s to carry out remedial action to remove the waste to authorised facilities.