The Irish are the Biggest Shower of Wasters in the World!

[Chris P]

It's official: the Irish are the Biggest Shower of Wasters in the World!

The 2006 OECD* Factbook reports that the Irish take top place in the Wasters League. Every Irish man, woman and child produces 760kg of waste a year, which is 20kg more than the second-place Americans. The OECD average is 570kg per capita.

"A Culture of Waste?"

The OECD also reports that the Irish are placed second-last in the table for personal spending on recreation and culture (Mexicans come last, while the British top the table).

So what is it with the Irish? Have we given up going to the cinema, theatre, and funfair so that we'll have more time to produce waste? [Anyone seen <The Waste Fellow> by Brendan Bin?] Or is it that the Government is not doing enough to encourage more life-cycling & recycling?

"Lies, Damned Lies and ..."

Or maybe we should just ignore the findings of yet another report that shows us in a negative light. After all, stats don't really show the true picture, do they? What about the famous comment (usually attributed to Disraeli) that there are three types of lies - "lies, damned lies, and statistics."

Of course, OUR number isn't quite up yet, but what about future generations? Hanging our heads in shame is no solution. We need to face the problem full-on.

Your thoughts, please...

Chris P
(Admin)
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Notes: * The OECD = the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its main function is to collect, analyse and publish data on a range of economic and environmental issues relating to about 50 of the world's developed/developing nations. It raps countries over the knuckles and exhorts them to do better.

[DCF]

You have a point Chris P., but I think land-fill from the construction industry might be partly responsible for the disgracefully high 'waste per capita' figures for Ireland. I'm told that about 15% of the Irish economy's income is based on construction, and it is a waste-heavy industry, so maybe the bleak picture painted in the OECD report is a bit harsh on the average Irish man and woman. The building boom won't last for ever, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Irish population's figures minus the construction industry's ones portrayed us as being no worse (or better) than the average developed nation when it comes to waste production.

I've no doubt that hundreds, maybe even thousands of tons of serviceable material are dumped every day by builders who are up against tight schedules. Some probably couldn't be bothered to life-cycle or recycle. Others, I'm sure, would if they could.

Do they get tax-breaks if they do? I dunno...

-DCF

[Chris P]

DCF, you're right about construction waste, to a certain extent. I found some data on the Race Against Waste website that may be of interest.

In 1995, the construction/demolition industry produced 1.3m tonnes of waste; in 2004, it produced over 11m tonnes.

Between 2001 and 2004, there was a 205% increase in the generation of construction and demolition waste. However, 85% of this is 'recovered' and put to further use, so we can't really blame the construction boom for our high waste figures.

More info here:
http://www.raceagainstwaste.ie/learn...do_we_produce/

Chris P
(Admin)

Note: The Race Against Waste data is from the National Waste Database Report, which was compiled and published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2004.

[Chris P]

A lot of the above does make for uncomfortable reading but there are some very positive signs too. For example, we deserve a pat on the back for the plastic-bag levy, the smoking-ban and, to a certain extent, for the way we have embraced the WEEE scheme (the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling scheme).

All of these initiatives/schemes prove that the residents of Ireland are amenable to environmentally-friendly initiatives. We’re not eco-hooligans by inclination! Okay, so we have a few bad habits (you can make your own list here), and the Celtic Tiger has run ahead of our eco-services, but we’re catching up.

Also, all members/citizens of JumbleTown.ie are setting a fine example by Giving and Taking. Life-cycling before Recycling is key. Let’s keep it up.

Chris P
(Admin)

[Chris P]

The findings of the recent OECD report, which basically labelled the Irish Republic as the most wasteful nation in the developed world (see above), have been borne out by a report from Forfás, a research body that advises the Irish Government.

The funny thing is that our "waste image" is EVEN WORSE in the Forfás report than in the OECD one. The OECD reported that Ireland produces 760kg of waste per capita; the Forfás report says the figure is 777kg. Both figures are astounding. The Forfás report also states that recycling costs are significantly higher in Ireland than elsewhere because we export so much of our "waste" material to be recycled.

The OECD and the Forfás reports prove that JumbleTown's philosophy of "Life-cycling" (re-use) before (premature) recycling and/or disposal is a key element of environmental protection.

So, well done, JumbleTowners. You're doing your bit!

Details of the Forfás report are given below.

Regards
Chris P
(Admin)
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Forfás Press Release (13th June 2006)

Launch of Forfás Waste Management Benchmarking Report
Forfás has published its first Waste Management Benchmarking Report. This report assesses Ireland’s comparative performance in meeting the needs of enterprise across a number of key indicators such as waste treatment options, costs and capacity.

While much progress has been made in the area of municipal waste recycling in recent years, as the share being recycled increased from 13 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2004, many of the challenges facing the enterprise base, which were highlighted in previous Forfás reports in 2001 and 2003, remain. In particular, there has been limited progress in addressing waste infrastructure deficits.

Speaking on the launch of the report, Martin Cronin, Chief Executive, Forfás commented, “Continuing increases in waste generation due to a growing population and economy, lengthy delays in rolling out planned infrastructure, and an increasing dependence on exporting have led to concerns over the ability of the Irish waste system to cater for further economic expansion and to provide competitively priced waste management solutions”.

Mr Cronin added, “Maintaining economic progress and competitiveness in Ireland is contingent on a good environment and the availability of modern waste management facilities. Since 2001, Forfás has monitored the growing concerns from industry over the lack of adequate waste infrastructure available in the country to cope with the demands from industrial, commercial and household waste generation. Waste management and the associated costs continue to be a key issue for enterprise in Ireland.”

In spite of its importance, particularly for some of Ireland’s key strategic sectors such as pharmaceuticals and life sciences, waste management is the area of the National Development Plan (NDP) where least progress has been made. The investment target for waste management infrastructure in the current NDP was €825 million, including €571 million of private investment. However, combined government and private investment to the end of 2005 was of the order of €250 million, most of which has been private investment.
Key Findings from the report:
Ireland performs poorly relative to competitor countries on a number of indicators:

· Waste Generation: Ireland has the highest municipal waste generation per capita of the countries surveyed with a figure of 777 kg per capita. The next highest is Singapore which generates 710 kg per capita. Manufacturing waste generation per employee is also relatively high.

Ireland has the third lowest hazardous waste generation per capita of the eight countries benchmarked, generating 83 kg per capita. Ireland’s low per capita hazardous waste level can be attributed to the profile of the industrial base in Ireland and the absence of heavy industrial activity.

· Waste Treatment: Ireland has made significant progress in the area of municipal waste management in recent years, with the share being recycled increasing from 13 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2004. However, Ireland performs relatively poorly with a recovery rate of 35 percent for industrial waste, highlighting Ireland’s dependence on landfill as a waste management solution. A significant amount of industrial waste is now land-filled on-site by the bigger companies rather than being land-filled in municipal landfills.

· Waste Costs: Of the countries benchmarked, Ireland has the highest waste management costs for non-hazardous landfill and biological waste treatment. Recycling costs and hazardous waste treatment costs are also higher than most competitor countries because of Ireland’s reliance on export markets for the treatment of recyclable materials. The vast majority of Ireland’s recyclable materials are exported for further treatment. Additional transport costs are directly impacting on the waste costs for the enterprise sector.

· Waste Capacity: Shortfalls in capacity have been identified for both municipal waste and hazardous waste – Ireland exports 30 percent of municipal waste and 70 percent of hazardous waste. The EU Landfill Directive requires reductions in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste being land-filled. This effectively requires the replacement of landfill capacity with infrastructure of a different kind. Many of Ireland’s competitors have already put in place such infrastructure and will have a competitive edge in this regard until such time as the waste treatment capacity required in Ireland is delivered.

· Ownership of Waste Collection: Ireland is almost unique among the benchmark countries in having private services directly involved in the collection of waste without any municipal involvement in establishing the contract and determining what happens to the waste.
The benchmarking analysis highlighted a range of areas where Ireland performs poorly compared to the other selected countries in meeting the waste management needs of the enterprise base. The policy priorities from an enterprise perspective are set out below:

Waste Prevention and Minimisation

Ireland has the highest level of municipal waste generation per capita of all the benchmark countries and manufacturing waste generation per employee is also relatively high. By not generating waste, we can eliminate the need to handle, transport, treat and dispose of waste. We can also avoid having to pay for waste management services. Investing resources in waste prevention and minimisation offers potential long-term benefits for the competitiveness of enterprises of all types. It is imperative for Ireland's future economic growth and environmental sustainability that the necessary resources and commitment to implement the National Waste Prevention Programme 2004-2008 are provided.

Infrastructure Deficits

Ireland’s dependence on landfill remains high relative to other countries. This is mainly due to the limited progress that has been made in delivering waste infrastructure in preferred waste treatment options such as thermal treatment and biological treatment. Ireland’s comparatively poor performance on key indicators such as costs and capacity can be traced back to the failure to deliver key waste management infrastructure in recent years. Ireland’s infrastructure deficits are also likely to affect Ireland’s ability to meet the targets set down in the EU Landfill Directive. Ireland will be restricted to landfilling 75 percent of the municipal biodegradable waste produced (by weight) in 1995 by 2010. This means Ireland must reduce is 2004 biodegradable waste levels by almost 340,000 tonnes.

Effectiveness of Existing Implementation Mechanisms

The lack of national co-ordination on waste management issues is a major challenge from an enterprise/competitiveness perspective. Up to now, decisions on the roll-out of infrastructure have been made mainly within county boundaries, rather than being based on national criteria such as industry economies of scale, the development of critical mass and the existence of transport corridors.

Specific infrastructure requirements identified in the 'National Hazardous Waste Management Plan', the 'National Strategy on Biodegradable Waste' and the regional waste management plans have not been implemented. This is mainly due to lengthy delays in the planning process. While the publication of the Strategic Infrastructure Bill is a welcome development, many of the most protracted delays to decisions on infrastructure have been due to legal challenges to planning decisions. This issue needs to be addressed also.

For further information please contact info@forfas.ie

END

[dodo]

Hi Chris,
I would much prefer to have things repaired, but find that such a service is not really an option, and often more costly than buying new.

No-one seems to work at this any more, although there probably is quite a market for appliance repairs.

I remember when dry cleaners employed people to repair nylons, which was done with tiny crochet hooks, at so much a ladder.

It does seem a pity to throw out things, because they can't be repaired.

dodo

[Chris P]

Hi dodo,

What you say is very true. The throw-away society has been around for a while and looks set to continue, but at what cost? Buying new instead of repairing seems to be the favoured option for many, and who can blame them when, as you say, it often costs more to have something repaired. In any case, obsolescence seems to be built into many products (TVs last about five years), and finding someone willing (and able) to fix something is often a hard task.

Your account of nylon-repairing would undoubtedly amuse/bemuse many of today’s generation as would, I suppose, my memory of “rag-and-bone” men calling around to houses (in the 1970s) to pick up unwanted items. They used to pass out balloons and whistles to delighted children.

Ah, the good ole days…

Regards
Chris P
(Admin)

[erica]

I've just found this thread and wondered what are the statistics saying about us in 2008? Has our record on waste production improved or are we still a "Shower of Wasters" ?

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by erica

I've just found this thread and wondered what are the statistics saying about us in 2008? Has our record on waste production improved or are we still a "Shower of Wasters" ?

Hi erica,

The decline of Celtic Tiger has probably reduced our waste production rate. Also, our levels of recycling and re-use have increased, thereby reducing the amount of land-filling. The data issued by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is usually for 18 months ago, so right up-to-the-minute views of the situation are next to impossible to find. If you want hard data on how we've done over the years, you can access the Environmental Protection Agency's National Waste Reports here:

http://www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/waste/stats/

Also, the OECD's page on Ireland has info on our waste production and general performance as a nation. Interesting stuff! Please see here:

http://www.oecd.org/country/0,3377,e..._1_1_1,00.html

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[erica]

Thanks Chris P. Efficient as ever, even at this time of night! No wonder this site is winning awards, do you guys ever sleep????

[Jumbles]

Sadly, I'm not suprised by these reports ChrisP.
My mother is disgusted at what she calls the "throw away society" today. She worked in a certain supermarket and said "you would cry if you saw what and how much we are told to throw away" Brand new, useable stuff, I'm not talking out-of-date food.

I think we have 4 major problems:

1. The cost of recycling - it's disgraceful!
Plus I believe there should be somewhere we can dump compostable materials for free, yes *free*.
2. The lack of recycling plants in Ireland. (contributes to point 1)
Last I heard, the only material that was recycled in the whole of Ireland was plastic. Until recently, I wasn't even allowed put plastic in my green bin, (go figure). I think only a few months ago, the first glass recycling plant in Ireland opened. (?)
3. Packaging - This is a major gripe of mine. The packaging on everything from vegetables to toys is disgracefully excessive and usually non recyclable / compostable.
BUT this is one thing that could be turned around by legislation.
Imagine if it were made law that ALL manufacturers of goods had to use the exact same containers *or* make all packaging compostable / returnable?
So Imagine this:
Every cereal box and bag is compostable,
Every glass jar and bottle is identical and returnable (like the old days 2p off when you bring your bottle back lol)
Every plastic container is recyclable (in Ireland)
If plastic were a 'last resort' packaging material and there were a limited variety of plastic containers to be used for all food & drink items and detergents etc.
Why? Because a lot of the excess packaging is simply dressing to make the product more attractive (and so more expensive). Imagine if all bottles were identical and only the label was used as a sales pitch. How much packaging and money could be saved?
4. Repair etc - It is too expensive & not widely available. Perhaps the govt could abolish VAT on repair related labour? Even cleaning is too expensive! For example, it costs more now to have a Duvet washed by a so-called "launderette" than it does to buy a brand new Duvet. So what do you do?

I could go on, but this is already the longest post I have ever posted on jumbletown lol!

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by Jumbles

I could go on, but this is already the longest post I have ever posted on jumbletown lol!

And a fabulous post it is too, Jumbles! It contains a fine analysis of a complex situation and also very commonsensical solutions.

The question for Government and people alike is what are we doing about it.

JumbleTown was set up with the intention of making people more proactive with regard to waste production of bulky items in particular by providing a re-use/life-cycling forum but as you state in your post, the amount of packaging waste is enormous. The government-backed Repak organisation has certainly helped in managing and disposing of this particular type of waste, but its production in the first place is cause for concern.

JumbleTown was devised in 2003 but because of other work commitments we didn't go "live" till 2006. The bad reports from the OECD and Forfas spurred us into action, as did the seemingly positive reports about the increases in the amount we were recycling. Though we're no experts in waste management, we felt that a lot of premature recycling was taking place (especially of bulky items such as computers), and that a lot of unnessary landfilling was taking place (especially of furniture). Hence, the birth of JumbleTown.

We like to think that we're are having some effect on the waste situation but the simple fact remains that recycling instead of re-use/life-cycling is generally the first option for many. As you state, our recycling facilities are still woefully inadequate. For example, in a recent press release, the Dept of the Environment said that 83% of our recycled material is "necessarily exported" for [re]processing. Why can't we recycle it here? Well, that's a topic for another post...

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[Jumbles]

ChrisP, I think Jumbletown is such a perfect example of how a simple idea can work really well.
People will recycle if they get something back, be it the knowledge that you saved €200 on a skip by passing something on, or getting 5c for a returnable bottle, or a thank you from a fellow jumbletowner, or just knowing that something you no longer need is being used or enjoyed by someone else.

Maybe now is the time to grab a hold in the recycling market?
Aren't we in a recession? Aren't we losing businesses left and right?
Maybe we should ask the government what they are doing to attract recycling plants etc into Ireland to soak up all these job loses?
If we can aford to export the vast majority our recyclable waste then there must be money in it?

Told you I could go on...
:)

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by Jumbles

If we can aford to export the vast majority our recyclable waste then there must be money in it?

Hi Jumbles,

The old saying, "Where there's muck, there's brass" is still very true. It seems that there is more money to be made by recycling abroad than actually doing it ourselves. It's simpler too -- out of sight, out of mind, and no headaches about planning permission for recycling plants, high labour and transport costs etc.

As we all know, it's a complicated business, but more needs to be done. We're 50 years behind countries like Holland and Switzerland in terms of waste management.

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[lemencass]

I am from N.A. and there were a few things that surprised me when I moved here. When I go shopping the cashier wraps items such as fairy in a seperate plastic bag,when I asked why,I am told in case it leaks. I have said how the hell did it make it from the factory to here without leaking,surely it will make it to my home without major damage? We had Big garbage day,me and my friends would take the day off work to troll the streets finding treasures. Found a brand new rotissere oven,old jam press lots of goodies. Scrap shops would be out in full force too lining with shelfs with items that would otherwise go to a dump.I nearly got the ears ripped off me by my mother when I was small,I came home with a siver set,she of course thought I stole it(why would a 7year old steal silver?) When she saw that it had been thrown away she started a side line,revamping couches,she made some tidy profit and got herself a new hobby. Beside alot of rural dumps there are shops,that sell servicable items and then dump the non servicable. There seems to be alot of shame involved for some people in having less than perfect,or non matching. With the economy the way it is maybe some of the old ways will make a comeback like wax paper at the butcher,it is a little cheaper if you go to the counter at home as biodergradable paper is used instead of plastics,meat keeps better too! Win win for everybody. Alot of second hand or charity shops won't take things such as tennis rackets as they can be used as weapens,I couldn't believe it! Mind some people do take advantage at auctions and bring total crap to avoid paying the skip charges which is a real downer for people that are trying to do a good thing. Many box's state not to include rags,is there not a charity that uses these to make mops if bag is labelled as rags? If you look into most of the skips 70% of it is usefull,books,china,a roll of wallpaper,old carpet,old duvets,places like kennels are only to happy to take things to line out a kennel. We spend so much time and thought when buying something new and if a tenth of that energy was put towards how we get rid we may see a reduction in our fills.(I include the goverment in this thought) Now in saying that if there is no set up,ie repair shops then it is a waste of time maybe if people have a skill to re-purpose they could post it?Provide insipration, maybe a section could be set aside,instead of wanted, it could be" needed", for places such as kennels ,I didn't know untill I asked what they would use and I got rid of alot of stuff. I love this board and Chris you guys really deserved that award! Mum used to say your stand may seem lonely as you stand alone in your fight but others who share your thoughts make the army. She was abit ahead of the time in regard to enviromental issue's but JT is an example of this,she'd have loved this board too!!