Waste Management Strategy
Richard Rogers launched the new Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland on the 30th March 2006 at Stormont.
Towards Resource Management: The Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy 2006 - 2020 ( pdf - 2MB)
The new Waste Management Strategy places more emphasis on waste prevention. It reinforces the need to increase waste recycling and recovery through a mixture of approaches including the renewal of recycling targets, focused awareness campaigns and the possible introduction of incentive schemes.
The policies and actions identified in the strategy are applicable to all controlled wastes.A comprehensive set of waste stream summaries has also been published in Volume 2 : Waste Stream Summaries of the strategy. These set out how best to manage your particular waste.
Waste Management Strategy 2000 - 2006
In March 2000 the Department published the first Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland, this set out how we should manage our waste based on the WM Hierarchy. Because of the radical changes the 2000 strategy introduced, it was subject to a review in 2003. The review was carried out by the Department and was assigned by the independent Waste Management Advisory Board.
Here is a list of the review reports:
- Waste Management Advisory Boards review report, published June 28th 2004 ( pdf 1.09 MB)
- DOE report - Reflections on the Waste Management Advisory Board Strategy Review Report ( pdf 1.16 MB)
Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO)
In shaping the newly revised waste management strategy the Department published further guidance on Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) for waste management in Northern Ireland in June 2005.
The guidance provides a framework for identifying the optimum balance of recycling and recovery infrastructure capacity to meet targets for municipal waste, commercial and industrial waste and construction, demolition and excavation wastes.
Here is a list of the guidance documents:
- Department's Northern Ireland-wide BPEO Guidance Document ( .pdf 652 KB )
- Supporting Technical Report (June 2005) ( .pdf 1.81 MB )
Waste Prevention
The waste management advisory board review identified the need for a greater emphasis on Waste Prevention in the new strategy. The Department recognises the importance of waste prevention.
In October 2004 the Department embarked on an extensive consultation with key stakeholders to identify the most appropriate way forward for Northern Ireland to encourage all sectors to prevent waste.
In August 2005 the Department published a Framework for waste prevention in Northern Ireland setting out a model to achieve waste prevention and the key priorities to support all sectors.
Northern Ireland Civil Service Departmental Waste Management Action Plans
Waste management is recognised by Government as a major lever for affecting change under Sustainable Development Policy commitments and is an integral part of the implementation programme for Sustainable Development.
The Department of the Environment published its Waste Management Action Plan in November 2004 following a baseline audit of solid waste management. The plan identifies specific targets and initiatives for:
- waste reduction,
- reuse and
- recycling.
Through the consultation process the remaining Civil Service Departments were invited to publish Waste Management Action Plans appropriate to their business.
The development of Departmental Waste Management Action Plans in March 2006 is seen as providing a consistent approach across Government to improve sustainability. The document represents the culmination of the consultation process making all the Action Plans available within a single point of reference.
Northern Ireland Civil Service Departmental Waste Management Action Plan's ( pdf - 243 KB )
2006 DOE 'Follow-up' Solid Waste Audit Report
Waste Management practices within the Department of the Environment and its agencies were audited during 2006.
The audit took place referencing a 2004 baseline. The audit was designed to evaluate change in practice and the effectiveness of the Department's action plan.