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Ireland is approaching an emergency waste landfill situation, warns minister

A memo is to be brought to Cabinet outlining a zero-tolerance approach to single-use plastics in government and State-funded buildings.

IRELAND IS APPROACHING zero capacity in its landfills, Minister Denis Naughten is expected to tell an environmental conference today.

In his address to the Environment Ireland event in Croke Park this morning, Naughten will outline Ireland is approaching an emergency waste situation if the country exceeds projections.

In 2011, Ireland had 127 working landfill sites. Now there are just four, with two taking the bulk of the country’s waste. 

Last year, in a bid to move away from the reliance on landfill sites, the minister rolled out the use of household brown bins.

At the time, he warned that in just three years, there is going to be a 17% shortfall in landfill.

“Effectively meaning we will have no landfill capacity for two months of the year,” he explained.

Naughten said too much food and organic waste is ending up in the regular black bins.

In order to ramp up recycling, all waste collectors were required to start rolling-out food and organic brown bins to all localities nationwide with a population greater than 500 people.

In his address to the conference today, the minster will outline that Ireland is still producing too much waste. The months up to Christmas are the busiest time of year for waste production. While Naughten states that Ireland is currently managing, there are fears we could be approaching crisis point. 

The minister will also outline new plans to tackle plastic waste. 

The latest figures show that Ireland is the largest producer of waste plastic in Europe — totalling 61kg per person per year, according to Environment Ireland. 

Naughten will shortly bring a memo to Cabinet outlining a zero-tolerance approach to single-use plastics in government and State-funding buildings. 

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:32 PM

    Ca ching! Just hit the jackpot on the gravy train.

    333
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    Mute Woolly
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:40 PM

    @Paul Mc: or just maybe he has worked hard and is a good public representative and the best candidate for the job, time will tell so let’s give him benefit of the doubt before he ever even starts the job like you would in other professions

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    Mute David Byrne
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:54 PM

    @Woolly: who do you buy your drugs from? They must be top class if you think any of them have anything but their own best interests at heart.

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:19 PM

    @Woolly: You gotta realize that the first and main objective of the normal Irish begrudge aka knacker is to knock and disparage their own representatives.

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    Mute John J. Smith
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:40 PM

    @David Byrne: Did you run for any of these great jobs?

    30
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    Mute Tony Lyons
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:45 PM

    @Paul Mc: the usual lazy comment

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    Mute Jonnie Kenny
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    Sep 8th 2020, 5:50 PM

    @Paul Mc: yea that all sounds very democratic, at least by EU standards it is

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    Mute Bernard Sweeney
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    Sep 8th 2020, 11:25 PM

    @Paul Mc: most predictable comment of the day. Well played. Bet you’re very happy with yourself and your 300 likes.

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    Mute Noel Gallagher
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    Dec 23rd 2020, 9:26 AM

    @Woolly: you really think that’s how it works?

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    Mute Noel Gallagher
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    Dec 23rd 2020, 9:26 AM

    @Woolly: you really think that’s how it works?

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    Mute Ruairi Colton
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:17 PM

    Dont we need a by election?

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:22 PM

    @Ruairi Colton: Not for European Parliament, same for County Councils.

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    Mute James Walsh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:22 PM

    @Ruairi Colton: Not for the EP, it is done on a list basis, and he was next on the list.

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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:25 PM

    @Ruairi Colton: That’s only for Dáil and Seanad.

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    Mute Lee Kelly (he/him)
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:50 PM

    @Ruairi Colton: A list of suitable replacement candidates is put forward at the time when a person is selected to run to be a Member of the European Parliament. If they leave their position as an MEP during the term (death, illness, election to a national parliament, promotion to another position etc.), one of those on the list will take their place for the remainder.

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    Mute Brynþór Patrekursson
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:20 PM

    @Lee Kelly (he/him): I guess the train has more than one carriage – who gets his job now. PS, obviously not the “best” candidate for MEP, just the replacement – up to the people of Ireland East to make sure he knows who he is accountable to.

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    Mute ÓDuibhír Abú
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    Sep 8th 2020, 6:24 PM

    @Reg: Friends; Indeed.,

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    Mute Brian Murphy
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:15 PM

    Colm who? Besta luck to him.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Sep 8th 2020, 12:47 PM

    @Brian Murphy: With any luck he won’t be seen coming within 2 metres of someone else and find himself hounded out of the job by our mob of self-righteous curtain twitchers.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:27 PM

    @Tommy Roche: Funny you should bring that up. On a day when Debenham works were arrested for fighting for their rights and the likes of Calleary, Hogan , Buttimer were rightly publicly shamed and forced to resign, while bankers, juditry. Politicians , ex politicians especially one who now go unpunished, or the criminal trial of bankers like Sean Fitzpatrick whose criminal case collapsed because of shredded documents by the state..A witch hunt? A corrupt state protecting corrupt people.

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    Mute Berkieahern3
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:27 PM

    @Tommy Roche: you need to be more subtle to be a good troll lad!!

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    Mute Jack Cass
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:08 PM

    @Tommy Roche: See the FG mob are out again today trying to bully concerned citizens.

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    Mute Locojoe
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:48 PM

    This is wrong.

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    Mute Brian Carr
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:55 PM

    @Locojoe: why

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    Mute Goban Saor
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:59 PM

    @Locojoe: meh, other countries have a list system. Takes the Parish Pump out if it

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    Mute ed w
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:46 PM

    huge shoes to fill. will be difficult to make a name in a huge constituency

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    Mute LD
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    Sep 8th 2020, 7:05 PM

    @ed w: She must have big feet so because you surely weren’t referring to the role she plays as a euro technocrat.

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