The minister urged homeowners to do their bit after announcing a major step forward in the delivery of waste infrastructure services in Northern Ireland.
The Province’s three district council-led waste management groups (ARC21, SWAMP and North West Region Waste Management Group) have established dedicated teams to help deliver their waste management plans.
While Mr Wilson hailed the development as a significant step forward, he also argued the waste infrastructure plans should be viewed by the public within a wider economic context.
The minister said: “Given the current economic climate it makes good financial sense to manage waste effectively but that is not something central and local government can do alone.
“Households can help by cutting down on the amount of waste they produce.
“At this time of year people should realise they can save money by, for example, planning their food shopping. This not only cuts down on the amount of food waste that is produced but also means that households do not overspend.
“They can also remember to recycle wrapping paper and packaging when possible. In short, this is a superb opportunity to save money and do something to help the environment.”
The teams, recruited through a procurement process managed by DOE and the Programme Delivery Support Unit (PDSU), are comprised of experts from the technical, legal, financial and public relations sectors.
Mr Wilson said DOE had been proactive on a number of fronts in supporting waste management groups since the inception of the PDSU, with the provision of a Strategic Waste Infrastructure Fund and now the recruitment of the advisory teams.
He said: “I am delighted that we have achieved this crucial milestone in the delivery of our waste strategy.
“How we deal with our waste is an important issue and one that the Executive takes extremely seriously. Now that all of the client-side teams are in place, we are on the correct trajectory to meet our obligations regarding diversion of waste from landfill and to build the infrastructure that we need to meet future demand.
“This is another excellent example of the partnership approach that has come to define the relationship between my department, the waste management bodies and their parent councils.
“It sends a clear signal to all stakeholder groups, and indeed to the wider market, that the Executive is doing all it can to make these projects a success for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
Notes to Editors:
- There are three waste management groups in Northern Ireland, banding together local councils in three regions.
- ARC 21 covers the Eastern region and comprises of Antrim Borough Council, Ards Borough Council, Ballymena Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council, Castlereagh Borough Council, Down District Council, Larne Borough Council, Lisburn City Council, Newtownabbey Borough Council and North Down Borough Council.
- SWAMP covers the South West of the Province and involves Armagh City and District Council, Banbridge District Council, Cookstown District Council, Craigavon Borough Council, Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council, Fermanagh District Council, Newry and Mourne District Council and Omagh District Council.
- The North West Region Waste Management group consists of Ballymoney Borough Council, Coleraine Borough Council, Derry City Council, Limavady Borough Council, Magherafelt District Council, Moyle District Council, Strabane District Council.
- For media enquiries contact DOE Press Office tel. 028 9054 0003 or out-of-hours call the EIS Duty Press Officer on 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.
