There is no simple, cheap or painless answer to the disposal of waste in our consumer society. A report by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for 2006 paints a stark picture of a government avoiding tough decisions, local authorities taking money-saving short-cuts, many householders doing their best and landfill sites coming under increasing pressure.
The situation is unsustainable, particularly where the dumping of biodegradable waste is concerned. By 2010, a reduction of almost 50 per cent in the quantity of this material going to landfill will be required if we are to avoid the imposition of heavy EU fines. But, according to the EPA, a good start can be made in reaching that target if landfill charges are raised and a ban imposed on the dumping of untreated waste. In the longer term, it suggests, there will be a need for incineration.
Minister for the Environment and leader of the Green Party John Gormley has indicated a willingness to increase landfill levies as a matter of urgency. But that is just one of the steps needed to meet our environmental obligations. The segregation of municipal and household waste will require investment in plant and machinery. And while local authorities do not have to own these facilities, they may not use them in the absence of a ban on the dumping of untreated waste. Then there is the politically sensitive subject of incineration. It has been suggested as a means of dealing with biodegradable waste by the Waste Strategy report. And the EPA urges the immediate establishment of an implementation group.
Mr Gormley needs to do more than raise landfill charges. Householders and businesses are willing to engage more intensively in recycling. But they have to be provided with the appropriate incentives and services. Composting, brown bins and more assessable municipal recycling sites will all play their part. And, in spite of the Minister's political views, there is an incontrovertible need for incineration. Just how extensive that should be remains unclear. But incineration must be part of a long-term solution.
It is hardly a coincidence that when the previous government secured a derogation from the terms of the EU Landfill Directive in Brussels, dumping charges fell and the amount of rubbish being buried increased by eight per cent. This rise in the quantity of landfill waste reversed a four-year trend of improving environmental behaviour. It showed how easily bad habits can return if a government fails to keep up pressure for change. As a society, we are generating more rubbish. Leadership in addressing this problem is urgently required.