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Project title

Outlets for Materials Recovered from Municipal Waste

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Clean Technology Centre (CTC)

Lead Applicant

Dermot Cunningham

Project Abstract

It is clear from the best available data that the arisings of waste in Ireland are veryhigh and that the rate of growth of these arisings is unsustainable. It is vital thereforethat Ireland as a matter of urgency implements a national waste prevention planwhereby the growth rates of waste arisings is firstly halted and ultimately reversed.It is also clear that the recovery rate for the reuse and recycling of this waste in Irelandleaves a great deal of room for improvement. At present the rate of waste recovery ismuch lower than international norms and is also well below our national targets. Therecovery levels for all waste streams considered (glass textiles ferrous metals papercardboard plastic non-ferrous metals aluminium wood and used beverage cartons)are less than acceptable.A study of the current outlets for the recovered municipal solid waste streamsconsidered shows that such outlets are being utilised for all these streams both inIreland and abroad with the exception of used beverage cartons. A variety of suchoutlets for the various materials was identified and analysed in this study. Wood is theonly material that is recycled solely in Ireland currently no waste wood is beingexported for recycling. All the container glass recovered in Ireland is also recycledeither in the Republic of Ireland or in a facility in Northern Ireland. However many ofthe outlets for other waste streams are abroad and this sometimes adversely affectsthe viability of their long term usage for a variety of reasons.The situation regarding the export of large volumes of waste paper cardboard andplastic in particular is problematic. There is an urgent and major requirement toincrease the Irish facilities to recycle these waste streams.Several potential new outlets for each waste stream were identified and analysed aspart of this study. While some of these are more viable than others many such outletsare worth considering all of which are being widely utilised in other countries withhigher recycling levels than Ireland.The barriers to recycling in Ireland were also identified and analysed as part of thisstudy. This analysis considered current general barriers to waste recovery and alsospecific barriers to each material waste stream. Many of these barriers are having adeleterious effect on the viability of developing a widespread culture of recycling inIreland.

Grant Approved

�100,281.37

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

Waste and Resources Management

Start Date

01/11/2000

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a