Environment Minister stresses need for innovation in tackling waste

Northern Ireland will need to be increasingly innovative in the way it tackles waste management, Environment Minister Sammy Wilson insisted today.

During a keynote address to a stakeholder conference convened by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Minister reaffirmed the promotion of waste recycling and reuse as a top priority for his Department.

As central and local government faced the challenge of delivering rigorous EU targets and the NI Waste Management Strategy, Mr Wilson told the conference: "Procuring and making operational a new major waste management infrastructure in a very demanding timescale will be critical if we are to deliver the strategy.

"The reality is that we cannot continue to dump our waste in large holes in the ground, without thought for the materials and energy that can be recovered, or for its impact on our environment.

"The EC Landfill Directive makes that clear and, as you know, sets stringent targets to reduce the volume of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill. By 2010 we need to be down to 75% of the amount we landfilled in 1995 and this tightens until we get down to 35% by 2020.

"Therefore, a need exists for work to be undertaken at a local level that will lead to improvements in waste management, in particular greater recovery and recycling. This is a key business area and activity for WRAP.

"The strategy recognised that a major obstacle to increasing levels of recycling and resource recovery in Northern Ireland is the lack of local markets for recovered materials, compost and products containing recycled material. Establishing sustained demand for these products is the most effective means of stimulating the market."

The Minister noted recycling has been growing in Northern Ireland. During 2007/8 the household waste recycling rate has been pushing 32%, compared to a paltry 4.9% in 1999.

Mr Wilson continued: “Recycling offers many new business opportunities for the Northern Ireland economy.

"The key to a successful recycling sector will be innovation and it is hoped to encourage imaginative and original solutions to working with secondary materials; stimulating demand amongst end users so that recycling can be sustained and competition encouraged.

"I am a great believer that the environment and the economy do not need to be competitors - although, unfortunately there are some who see it that way. They can be partners helping us to build a stronger and better and more sustainable Northern Ireland.

"Once we have reduced, reused and recycled as much of our waste as is possible, we must also look at alternative methods of disposing of the residual waste. In effect, what this means is that, if we are to meet European targets, and very importantly to avoid the risk of huge fines, Northern Ireland requires a substantial programme of investment in new waste treatment infrastructure with an estimated capital investment of over £600million."

The Minister paid tribute to the good work which was already taking place within councils supported by ROTATE - WRAP‘s local authority advisory programme.

He said work still needed to be undertaken at a local level that would lead to improvements, in particular greater recovery and recycling.

The Minister added: “As with all challenges which we face, waste management brings the opportunity to realise our potential and develop closer working relationships between central and local government.

“This is an area that has a huge impact on both our local environment and the well being of every member of the public. Importantly, it is also an area where we all have a role to play.”

The conference - the fifth that WRAP has held in Northern Ireland and the first since the return of devolved Government - offered stakeholders the opportunity to put forward views on the opportunities that recycling presents to the economy and society of Northern Ireland.

Notes to Editors:

1. WRAP helps individuals, businesses and district councils to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change.
2. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department provides WRAP with funding of £1 million per annum, contributing to its overall budget of £62 million.
3. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.