Mike Wynne tells Ed Power why the State has to get real when it comes to waste disposal

Mike Wynne doesn't believe in "garbage fairies". But the chief executive of waste disposal group Greenstar fears many in Irish business still do. Mr Wynne's assessment is bleak: while the Government and multinationals have embraced change, huge swathes of society remain dangerously rooted in the past.

His warning is even starker: unwillingness to embrace modern, environmentally-sound waste disposal methods could trigger an ecological disaster and may fatally undermine foreign investment. The clock is ticking and reform is long overdue.

"There remains a belief among many Irish companies that they stop being responsible for rubbish they moment it leaves their sight. Many people continue to believe in 'garbage fairies' - they think their waste will be magicked out of existence as soon as they throw it away."

Mr Wynne is full of praise for the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who he says has bravely confronted the Republic's nonchalance to rubbish disposal, and of the blue-chip multinationals which form the bulk of Greenstar's client base.

He is markedly less effusive about the indigenous private sector, claiming many small and medium-sized operations regard waste disposal as a minor irritant rather than a major responsibility. And he is scathing of businesses which illegally dispose of industrial discharge, claiming those who flout waste regulations are undermining Ireland's image as an environmental haven.

"Every business person knows the importance of a strong brand identity. Internationally, Ireland's brand is green - it is seen as an unspoiled and unpolluted country. Unless illegal dumpers are put out of business for good, the danger to the Republic's international standing is immense."

So long as illicit dumpers are allowed to operate, firms eager to trim costs will employ them, he admits. Prohibition is the only way to stamp out this lingering menace and ensure the private sector complies fully with the tough new regulatory regime ushered in over recent years under pressure from the EU.

While welcoming the reforms introduced since the late 1990s and recognising that Mr Cullen has proved determined to preside over further improvements, Mr Wynne says Irish law still falls short of environmental laws in other states.

In Britain, waste producers owe a duty of care - they must satisfy themselves that the firm hired to remove their detritus is qualified and competent to dispose of it responsibly and legally. Here, faith in the garbage fairies lingers. And the penalties levied against illegal dumpers can be derisory.

"If you can make huge profits from operating an illegal dumping business and the penalties are very small, it is no surprise that people will continue to regard this as a lucrative activity.

"The first stage in solving a problem is recognising that there is a problem. Mr Cullen has faced up to the fact that things need to change, and change quickly. The era of 'hump and dump' waste disposal is quickly passing and anyone who thinks they can get away with just flinging rubbish in a landfill and forgetting about it is living in the past."

The future has already arrived. It can be found in the offices and production facilities of multinational corporations, particularly those from the US. Here Greenstar has pioneered the concept of a binless office; all waste is separated at source by staff from the firm who are based on-site. Greenstar sends the material for recycling with a percentage of profits that accrue returned to the client.

There is a whiff of the crusader's zeal about Mr Wynne as he waxes about the benefits which indigenous sectors stand to reap should they take up the recycling cause. It is this enthusiasm which might explain Greenstar's growth since its establishment, as Celtic Waste, in late 1999. Last year Greenstar acquired five smaller rivals, making it one of the few national players in their niche.

The group, owned by National Toll Roads, is determined to expand in 2003 although it has yet to line up further targets. Revenues has surged in tandem with expansion. Turnover climbed 70 per cent to €55 million in 2002 and is predicted to rise to €70 million this year. The workforce has tripled to 300 in 12 months and the group now has a presence in seven counties, covering most of the State's industrial base.

Some €100 million has been ploughed into infrastructure over the same period. This week the firm changed its name from Celtic Waste to Greenstar. Subsidiary firms will be-rebranded in the near future.

Greenstar's growth is particularly satisfying for Mr Wynne who stepped out of semi-retirement aged 52 to lead the firm. Having served as senior executive with corporations in Britain and the US for more than 20 years, he had decided to take a step back and enjoy life at a slower pace.

Something of a prodigy, he was appointed director of car hire group Godfrey Davis Holding at 34, its youngest ever main board director. He was elevated to deputy chief executive at 37, going on to scale the corporate ladder at Littlewoods, rising to the position of group operations director before working with waste disposal groups in the US.

It is Greenstar's hunger to dominant a nascent industry that fires Mr Wynne. "We are ahead of the curve ... It is a tremendously exciting time to be involved and there is huge potential for Greenstar to grow even bigger."