How Ireland Reduced its Active Landfills

This chapter tracks developments in municipal solid waste management in Ireland over the past three decades. In applying SPITE solution design, it can be shown how developing Policy (P) and Technology (T) were the main drivers for improvement, although there have been some niche innovations in recent years. Traditionally, there was a heavy reliance on landfill as the disposal option with many towns and cities having such a facility nearby. As policy and legislation evolved in line with European Directives, the new infrastructure has been put in place to allow for extra waste treatment options such as composting, anaerobic digestion and incineration. According to the waste hierarchy, prevention is the preferred option, with disposal to landfill the least desirable. Thus, the total number of landfills has now decreased to low single digits. Furthermore, householders and businesses are incentivised to separate waste at the source, which facilitates the transfer of material to an appropriate treatment facility. The ‘polluter pays’ principle has introduced graded fees so that those who generate waste are encouraged to segregate waste into different coloured bins. The management of municipal solid waste was traditionally the responsibility of local authorities whereas nowadays, the collection, transport and treatment of such materials are mainly carried out by private companies. In summary, these developments have led to a dramatic change in waste management in Ireland in the past few decades. This chapter tracks developments in municipal solid waste management in Ireland over the past three decades. Up to the 1990s, waste in Ireland was primarily disposed of in landfills with a heavy reliance on this disposal option, and recycling rates were some of the lowest seen within the European Union (EU). The primary focus of all National and EU policy implemented across Ireland was to reduce reliance on landfill for waste disposal. From the landscape level, governments can issue laws and directives that embed rules for economic actors on how to carry out their activities. The chapter presents an overview of the five technologies or technology-based solution designs at work in Ireland: incineration, composting, anaerobic digestion, landfill and plastics recycling. Composting is the process of recycling organic waste naturally. Food scraps and garden waste are typically the most common items that are composted.