Is Pay by Weight Dead?

The decision to suspend the introduction of Pay by Weight by Minister Coveney must be perplexing to anyone familiar with waste management as it endorses the activity of those who do not segregate their waste, by mixing recyclables, food waste and residual waste in one black bag. Not only is this bag of contaminated waste potentially destroying the recyclables in it but also requires further processing if it is to be used as a fuel for incineration.  Untreated black residual waste is therefore destined for either landfill or export, and with landfill sites being closed it would appear that the export of waste will continue to be an Irish solution. Treated black residual waste can be incinerated however in the process large quantities of recyclables will be destroyed, the removed waste will be of no value and a use will have to be found for the residual ash. It is estimated that the amount of this black waste produced per Dublin household per year can be reduced by 354kg with the introduction of Pay by Weight scheme. This equates to approximately 200,000 tonnes of black waste that can be diverted from incineration and landfill on a yearly basis. In the media frenzy that recently evolved in  relation to PBW the potential savings per household as a result of proper waste segregation was not given air time, nor were the downstream benefits such as the production of compost and the use of recyclables and renewables. Nor was air time given to the downstream negatives of having to manage large quantities of black waste, or the fact that it is illegal to dispose of food waste other than by the use of a Brown Bin, as per the Household Food Waste legislation. Currently depositing food waste in the Grey Bin can lead to fines, regardless of whether Pay By Weight is introduced or not, and it is only with strict enforcement will this practice stop and the benefits of proper waste segregation at source be seen and appreciated both environmentally and financially by householders. The introduction of PBW would also give full traceability of waste generated and its origin, and make identifying the “Polluter Who Does Not Pay” easier….something I think we would all endorse!