The 1996 Waste Management Act empowers several Local Authorities to come together and jointly make a Waste Management Plan for their functional areas.
This aim of this Plan is to manage, in an environmentally sound way, all non-hazardous waste generated within their functional areas.
The six Local Authorities in Connacht came together to make and adopt a Regional Waste Management Plan. This they did around September 2001. The following Local Authorities adopted the Connacht Plan:
- Sligo County Council
- Leitrim County Council
- Mayo County Council
- Roscommon County Council
- Galway County Council
- Galway City Council
The area covered by the Connacht Plan is diverse. It contains some very rural and sparsely populated areas as well as large population centres like Galway City and Sligo.
The benefit of a regional waste management plan is that the stronger areas can help the weaker areas to meet the onerous targets set out for Recycling and diversion from Landfill.
The targets are:
- Diversion of 50% of household waste away from Landfill
- A minimum 65% reduction in biodegradable waste consigned to Landfill.
- Development of environmentally sound waste recovery facilities
- Recycling of 35% of municipal waste.
- 50% of Construction & Demolition waste to be achieved in 5 years and 85% in 15 years.
- Reduction in the number of Landfills and upgrading these to the highest standards.
- 80% reduction in methane emissions from landfills.
It will be difficult to reach these targets but the Plan is based on an integrated strategy that has emphasised reduction of waste whenever possible followed by reuse, recycling, recovery and safe disposal.
Finally it up to each of us to play our part. We all live in this world and it is our duty to protect and manage it in a way that does not jeopardise the ability of future generations to enjoy its benefits.
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