Waste control concentrates on Waste Activity Permit applications, WEEE Regulations, Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations and enforcement of the Waste Management Act 1996 - 2005.
- Waste Activity Permits
- Waste Collection Permits
- WEEE Regulations
- Waste Management Packaging Regulations
- End of Life Vehicles
- Hazardous Waste
- Noise Pollution
- Plastic Bag Levy
- Environmental Enforcement
Waste Permits are issued under the Waste Management (Permit) Regulations 1998 by individual Local Authorities for their functional area. Waste Permits are required for all activities described in Part 1 of the First Schedule of the Waste Management Act 1996 - 2005. Waste permits apply to non-hazardous waste only.
Permits are required for the following waste activities:
- Recovery only
- Disposal other than landfill, with an annual intake of less than 5,000 tonnes
- Composting with less that 1,000 m3 of compost and waste on-site at any time
- The incineration of waste (other than hazardous or hospital waste) at a facility the capacity of which is equal to or less than 1 tonne per hour
- The recovery of scrap metal or other metal waste
- The dismantling or recovery of vehicles; and
- The recovery of waste which is composed of or contains mercury or its compounds (including electric lamps, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes)
It is an offence to deposit waste in any facility that does not have a Waste Permit. Planning Permission may also be required. A list of permitted facilities can be accessed at www.connaughtwaste.ie, or Applications Forms can be downloaded from the Application Forms page on this website. Alternatively, contact the Environment Office on 090-6637262.
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The Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations, 2001, apply to the collection of all wastes, hazardous and non-hazardous. The permit specifies the type of waste the collector is permitted to collect and also recovery / treatment or disposal routes allowed for each type of waste. Mayo County Council has been nominated to process and issue waste collection permits for the Connaught region. Waste collection permits are valid for 2 years, after this period the permit is reviewed. There is an onus on the producer of waste to ensure that their waste collector has the necessary permits. A list of permitted Waste Collectors can be accessed at www.connaughtwaste.ie.
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On 13th August 2005 the European Union WEEE Directive came into force. This Directive requires that all producers of electrical and electronic equipment finance the recovery and recycling of waste electrical and electronic household equipment. We all have a responsibility for electrical and electronic waste. This waste contains hazardous materials which pose a threat to our environment and our health. Therefore, waste electrical and electronic equipment must not be placed in household bins or brought to landfill.
Householders can take the old electrical equipment to any of Roscommon County Council Civic Amenity Sites - Free of Charge. When they purchase new electrical or electronic equipment, they can take back a similar type of equipment to the shop where they make their purchase.
WEEE And The Retailer.pdf (size 199.5 KB)
Retailers have to register with Roscommon County Council for an annual fee of €20. Retailers also have to book in advance at the Environment Office before they bring any old electrical goods to any of our Civic Amenity Sites. They must also submit a list of the goods they intend to bring to the site in advance.
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Packaging Waste Regulations Explanatory Leaflet.pdf (size 370.8 KB)
The Waste Management Packaging Regulations 2007 provide for the Reduction and Recovery of Packaging Waste. Ireland is required to achieve a new overall increased packaging waste recovery target of 60% (with 55% by way of recycling) no later than 31st December 2011. In addition, material specific recycling targets have to be achieved as follows:
- 60% by weight for glass
- 60% by weight for paper and board
- 50% by weight for metals
- 22.5% by weight for plastics and
- 15% by weight for wood
Under the regulations ALL Producers of Packaging Waste have important obligations for the recovery of packaging waste.
Producers of packaging waste are people who in the course of business, sell or otherwise supply to others packaging materials, packaging or packaged products (e.g. shops, supermarkets, retailers, pubs, hotels, wholesalers, hardware stores, pharmacies, fast food outlets, manufacturers, distributors, importers.)
Specified Packaging Waste must now be diverted from landfill and segregated and recycled. This means that the landfilling of packaging waste arising on commercial premises is now banned.
Under the Regulations Specified Packaging Waste is listed as:
- Glass
- Aluminium
- Paper
- Wood
- Fibreboard (cardboard)
- Plastic Sheeting (shrinkwrap etc.)
The segregated waste should be collected by a Recovery Operator for the purpose of recycling and such Recover Operator must hold all the necessary licences and permits.
Packaging from Food sold and consumed on a producers premises also comes within the scope of these Regulations, e.g. Bottles sold and consumed in Pubs, Clubs and Hotels. Producers here should be aware that the Roscommon County Council Bring Banks are for householders only and should not be used by commercial outlets.
Under the Regulations MAJOR PRODUCERS are defined as producers who supply an aggregate weight of packaging material, packaging or packaged goods in excess of 10 tonnes in a calendar year (excluding packaging destined for re-use and packaging for direct export), AND have an annual turnover of more than €1m. Major Producers have to register with REPAK or as a Self Complier with Roscommon County Council.
For further information on the Packaging Regulations please see the Packaging Waste Regulations Explanatory Leaflet.pdf (size 370.8 KB) or contact Environment Section.
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The End of Life Vehicle regulations introduce new standards to ensure that when a vehicle is scrapped that as much of the material as possible is recovered and recycled and that it does not cause environmental pollution.
These Regulations place obligations on vehicle manufacturers and professional importers to establish a national collection system where vehicles of a producers brand can be deposited, free of charge, for the recovery and treatment of end of life vehicles. End of life vehicles are a passenger car or a light commercial van. Authorised Treatment Facilities have to be established in each local authority area that will take back vehicles.
Each producer is required to register with the Local Authority.
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Movement of Hazardous Waste Within Ireland
Under the Waste Management (Movement of Hazardous Waste) Regulations, 1998, collectors are required to record the movement of hazardous waste within Ireland, by means of completing a consignment note (C1 Form). The purpose of this regulation is to allow the local authority to track the movement of hazardous waste from the producer of the waste to the recovery, treatment or disposal facility. This is to ensure that waste is disposed of properly and is not illegally dumped.
Prior to the movement of hazardous waste the producer must obtain a C1 form from the local authority where the waste originates. Each form is uniquely numbered. Consisting of a three-part document (A, B & C), It comprises five coloured carbon copies. Part A of the form is completed by the producer of the waste, Part B by the carrier, and part C by the permitted waste facility on receipt of the waste. The waste facility submits a copy of the C1 to the local authority in their own functional area, and a copy is sent to the Local Authority from which the waste originated within 5 days, of receipt. The producer and carrier are required to retain copies of the C1 for a minimum of 5 years.
CI Forms can be obtained from Roscommon County Council, Environment Section, Roscommon West Business Park, Circular Road, Roscommon. There is a charge of €20 per CI Form.
Transfrontier Shipment Notices
The movement of waste outside of Ireland for disposal/recovery requires the movement to be documented on a TFS Form in accordance with S.I. 149 of 1998, Waste Management (Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste) Regulations 1998. Dublin City Council is designated as the Competent Authority of Dispatch in respect of the export of waste from the State, the Competent Authority of Destination in respect of the import of waste into the State, and the Competent Authority of Transit in respect of the passage of waste in transit through the State.
For further information please contact :
National TFS Office,
Dublin City Council,
Eblana House,
68-71 Marrowbone Lane,
Dublin 8.
Fax: (01) 411 3440
Email: nationaltfs@dublincity.ie
Administration Department:
Tel: (01) 222 4411 or 222 4601 or 222 4634 or 222 4249
Technical Department:
Tel: (01) 222 4374 or 222 4235 or 222 4467.
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Continual noise from other houses, home workshops, local businesses, etc. can be a source of nuisance and distress for people. In 1994 the Minister for the Environment addressed this problem by making regulations under the Environmental Protection (EPA) Act 1992, whereby any individual person, or a local authority, may complain to a District Court seeking an Order to deal with the noise nuisance (i.e. noise so loud, continuous, so repeated, of such pitch or duration or occurring at such times that the person has reasonable cause for annoyance.
Firstly, a complainant must give notice to the person making the noise of the intention to make a formal complaint to the District Court and then he/she must serve a notice on the alleged offender that a complaint is being made at least 7 days in advance of the complaint being made to the Court. The District Court will hear both sides of a complaint and where it finds in favour of the complainant it can order the person or body making the noise reduce it to a specific level, to limit it, e.g. at specified times or to stop it altogether.
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The Waste Management (Environmental Levy (Plastic Bag) Regulations 2001 introduced the Plastic Bag Levy. The Levy was introduced on 4 March 2002. The levy was increased to 22 cents per bag from July 1st 2007.
The levy applies to all plastic bags suitable for use by customers at the point of sale in supermarkets, service stations, clothing and footwear stores, books stores or any other sales outlet.
Exemptions apply as follows:
- Plastic Bags solely used for fresh meat, fish and poultry, provided that such bags are not greater in dimension than 22.5mm in width (exclusive of any gussets), by 345mm in depth (inclusive of any gussets, by 450mm in length (inclusive of any handles).
- Plastic Bags solely used to contain non packaged fruit, nuts, or vegetables, confectionery, dairy products, cooked food (whether cold or hot) and ice, provided that such bags are not greater than the sizes referred to above.
- Plastic bags used to contain goods or products sold on board an aircraft or ship.
These exemptions apply only where bags are used for the purposes referred to above. If other products are placed in these bags, then the retailer must charge the levy to the consumer.
The levy should be itemised on any invoice, receipt or docket issued to the consumer. Roscommon County Council is responsible for enforcing of this levy.
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An Environmental Enforcement Team was established in 2004 to improve compliance with the Waste Management Act 1996 - 2005. Currently there are three members of staff, plus the Litter Wardens, who investigate all waste complaints received.
Since its establishment the Enforcement Team have targeted the following Waste Regulations to ensure compliance:
- Waste Management (Permit) Regulations 1998 (Ensure compliance with Waste Permits Granted).
- Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2001 (Ensure that collectors have the necessary Collection Permits by inspection).
- Monitoring Garages to ensure they have all the necessary Permits and are in compliance with End of Life Vehicles Regulations.
- Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003 (Contacting all Producers of Packaging Waste, ensure that all Major Producers are identified and are registered with either the Local Authority or REPAK).
- Waste Management (Plastic Bag Levy) Regulations 2001 (Ongoing inspections of businesses to ensure Levy is being charged).
- Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001 (Inspections carried out to ensure the levy is being correctly applied).
- Investigation of all complaints received from the public with necessary follow up action.
- The Team also work closely with the EPA in the enforcement of waste legislation.
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