Northern Ireland recycling consultation

Northern Ireland Environment Minister Alex Attwood has called for stakeholders to respond to proposals regarding the introduction of a compulsory recycling target of 60 per cent by 2020. The target would cover all municipal waste collected by local councils in Northern Ireland.

This target is higher than the 50 per cent rate required by the European Union (EU) for the same period.

The consultation, which was launched on Friday (3 May), focuses on three main areas: how the target should be applied and to whom it should apply, the definition of ‘recycling’ and how the target is monitored and enforced.

It follows a March 2011 consultation titled ‘A New Recycling Policy’, which asked, among other things, whether a target of 60 per cent municipal waste recycling was appropriate. After considering the responses, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (DOENI) concluded that the target was achievable and that a legislative framework should be introduced, setting out the 60 per cent target in law.

Northern Ireland to follow Welsh example?

The consultation document contains 38 questions for respondents, covering such topics as whether a single target or ‘stepped approach’ is more suitable, what constitutes ‘recycling’ (for example, whether home composting should be included) and whether councils should charge for the deposit of household waste at household recycling centres.

It also gives examples of systems used in Wales, such as the ‘stepped’ legislative approach to recycling targets, whereby local authority recycling targets increase every few years, culminating in a level of 70 per cent by 2024-25. The consultation then asks respondents whether the Welsh example would be applicable to Northern Ireland and whether any adjustments would need to be made.

Commenting on the consultation Mr Attwood said: "This is a challenging target going beyond what the EU requires. It would stretch our ambition but I believe people want us to do so.”

Plastic bag levy

The consultation follows on from Northern Ireland’s five pence levy on ‘single use carrier bags’, as well as those made of paper, plant-based material and natural starch. It does not affect bags used for ‘hygiene and food safety’, ‘the protection of both goods and consumers’, or ‘confidentiality in respect to prescription medicines’.

The legislation, introduced by Alex Attwood, came into effect on 8 April, and if ‘deemed successful’ would increase to 10 pence a bag and be extended to include low cost reusable bags by April 2014.

England is now the only country in the UK to not have a levy on single-use plastic bags.

Attwood continued: “The enthusiastic welcome for the carrier bag levy last month demonstrated how people want to make a contribution to deal with waste and ease climate change. A 60 per cent recycling target in our homes and towns would do precisely that.

"In 2011-12 we recycled 38.4 per cent of local authority collected municipal waste collected by our councils. This is a fourfold increase from our efforts in 2001-02 when we were recycling just 8.9 per cent. I am confident that Northern Ireland can keep this pace up and hit 60 per cent by 2020. A hard target in law will help us do so.”

Saying that has “yet to take final decisions on some details” of the three target areas of the consultation, Attwood added that he wanted to “hear what people have to say” and use those responses to help “establish the best way forward”.

Aside from increasing recycling, Northern Ireland has also seen its landfill rates decline, with the government announcing last month that in the third quarter of 2012-13, local authorities landfilled 57.1 per cent of municipal waste, down three per cent from the same period in the year before.

Next steps

The consultation is set to close on 2 September 2013.

Once it has closed, the DOENI intends to introduce legislation enshrining the 60 per cent recycling target in law. As well as this, DOENI intends to introduce ‘subordinate legislation’ to support the primary target. This will be accompanied by ‘a further consultation on the draft regulations and supporting policy proposals’.

Target ‘gives certainty for everyone involved in waste recycling’

Attwood commented: "Following on from this consultation I plan to bring a Bill to the Assembly early next year. The Bill will provide the enabling powers needed to introduce the regime for the 60 per cent target.

"Making this 60 per cent recycling target statutory gives certainty for everyone involved in waste recycling. It’s a win-win for the environment and business. It will generate economic opportunities for local businesses, helping them to improve their productivity and profitability and compete in the global market while further enhancing the clean green environment.

“A low carbon country, commerce and homes is best for our environment and a key way to grow the economy and jobs", he concluded.

Read the ‘Consultation Paper on Policy Options for a Recycling Bill’,