Minister focuses on Enforcement & The Circular Economy
In his opening address to the recent Waste Management Conference, Environment Minister, Alan Kelly, focused on the Enforcement of the new Waste Regulati
ons 2015 and the Circular Economy, whereby resources are reused and recycled . The Minister estimated that the Circular Economy would “create an upper end estimate for job creation through the complete processing in Ireland of recyclables and bio waste of 2,100 jobs, assuming we see the 50{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} growth in waste generation and 100{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} recycling of waste mater that is forecast by 2030” On enforcement, he outlined the new multi agency regime that would be put in place, to include the Revenue, Gardai, County Councils and other agencies to tackle among other issues “compliance with the food waste regulations ..with only 25{b050ebef00e2b6e935b95b021e9f55f4ab20ffeed47f29e2aa25a2081fec5bc8} of the total available volume actually being separately collected and appropriately treated”.
The Minister stated that enforcement would have economic as well as environmental benefits, and he recognised the need for the involvement of the IWMA and Waste Service Providers in any future enforce
ment strategy. The Minister concluded that he wanted “Ireland to be among the first States in the EU in which the circular economy is not just a concept, but where it is a dynamic and inclusive project”, and I believe most delegates in the room shared his sentiment. Such synergy and meeting of minds augurs well for the Waste Industry in Ireland.