Dublin may turn profit from domestic waste, predicts Alan Kelly

Householders in Dublin may be in a position to turn a profit on their domestic garbage in the near future by selling it to energy companies, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has predicted.

He said that rapid changes in technology in the waste-to-energy sector will transform ordinary household waste into a commodity with a monetary value.

“I believe in a short few years we are going to have some households selling their waste to energy providers or other waste processors in Dublin. With the way technology is moving, if a particular company can educate households sufficiently there is a market to be captured,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, the Labour Party deputy leader suggested Dublin would be a perfect place to start such an initiative. He said home-grown companies were already active with this technology, which he described as amazing.

“If people can become efficient at segregating their waste, it can become an economic resource. We need to view household waste as a potential resource that has a value when processed and not just something we pay to have exported,” he said.

Removal cost

At present, Dublin households must pay private waste companies to remove domestic waste, with most charging systems based on volume or weight. The annual cost per household typically runs to several hundred euro.

In recent years, advances in technology have resulted in a dramatic drop in reliance on landfill. Large waste companies which segregate material have been in a position to sell waste, especially high-calorific waste, to companies which convert it to energy.