Waste generated in the Republic has almost doubled to more than 80 million tonnes a year, according to an Environmental Protection Agency report comparing volumes generated between 1995 and 1998.
Substantial increases have occurred across all major sectors including municipal, industrial and hazardous wastes, fuelled by unprecedented economic growth.
But much of the increase is accounted for by better reporting and a sharp increase in agricultural waste to 65 million tonnes, attributed to more winter housing of livestock and inclusion of dairy washing waste.
The 1998 figures indicate unsustainable use of landfills, which continue to cater for 91 per cent of Irish municipal waste. While the volume of waste recycled has increased substantially - from some 900,000 tonnes in 1995 to 2.5 million tonnes in 1998 - this was dwarfed by the increases in waste generated.
Non-agricultural waste increased by 37 per cent over the three years since 1996, with the sharpest increases in manufacturing, mining and construct ion/demolition material. Ireland is "no longer a low-volume waste-producing country", the EPA warns.
Moreover, every available indication since 1998 suggests further substantial increases have occurred, notwithstanding recovery in the paper recycling market.
The 1998 figures indicate three quarters of a tonne of waste, including packaging, is generated per person each year, which is in line with European averages.
With household waste, the so-called "recovery" rate - which includes recycling, re-use or composting, and is demanded under a new EU land-filling directive - decreased from 4.3 per cent in 1995 to 3.2 per cent in 1998. This is considered a "poor performance"; there was a 13 per cent increase in waste from this source.
The rate of recovery of municipal waste, up from 7.8 to 9.0 per cent, is described as "modest", though it is not hugely out of step with the EU average.
Last year's figures indicate some 67 per cent of waste in Europe is land-filled, 17 per cent is incinerated and 10 per cent is recycled or reused. However, some economies achieve a significantly higher recovery rate. The agency urges the putting in place of infrastructure for the separate collection and recovery of municipal wastes. This is a prerequisite to weight-related charges for waste disposal, probably with microchips attached to bins, but is also tied into public awareness programmes to ensure all sectors take responsibility for waste prevention.
The rate of waste growth and persistently low recycling since the EPA first analysed waste volumes in 1995 strongly indicate a stark choice between increasing landfill capacity substantially (contrary to EU directives) or introducing some element of incineration (thermal treatment) in an integrated approach. But the agency stops short of recommending the latter option.
It notes, however, there are no municipal thermal treatment plants in Ireland "in marked contrast to other European countries".
Commenting on the findings, EPA programme manager Mr Gerry Carty said "greater consideration of thermal treatment" was required within the context of a range of measures. "The rate at which waste is being generated continues to grow," he added. "That has to be stabilised and, if possible, reversed."
The report constitutes a wakeup call to the public, business, industry and local authorities on the need for concerted action to minimise waste generation and put waste management on a modern footing, according to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey.
"Its findings point to increasing waste generation, limited waste management infrastructure and considerable scope for improved recycling and recovery of waste," he said.
Mr Dempsey noted with concern low recovery rates for packaging waste despite EU targets, which require 25 per cent of this waste to be recycled by next year, rising to 50 per cent by 2005. The rate based on 1998 figures is 14.8 per cent. He is to appoint consultants to examine how this may be improved.
The findings in the "National Waste Database" published yesterday underlined the need for vigorous and prompt implementation of local and regional waste management plans, Mr Dempsey said. Six of the regional plans envisage thermal treatment but in an integrated approach to their accelerating waste problems.
EPA senior scientific officer Mr Matt Crowe said that while waste increases were a function of economic growth, greatly improved reporting was also a factor. However, there was still a need for better tracking of waste in local authority areas. The figures do not include indiscriminately dumped waste such as litter in public places that has not been collected by local authorities.
"Widespread and rapid" development of separate collection systems was needed, EPA director Ms Anne Butler said.
