International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

41.7 Environmental Benefits
The revenues generated from the Landfill Levy are paid into an Environment Fund
which was established by the Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2001 (No.36 of
2001) and is managed and controlled by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage
and Local Government. The fund was established with effect from 17 July 2001. It is
not clear to what extent these funds are derived from landfilling mixed construction
and demolition waste.
Table 41-1: Landfill Levy Income
Income Income
2002 2002 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006
2006
Environmental Levy
on the Landfill of
Waste
619
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes
€17,868,726 €29,359,585 €26,765,514 €27,798,605 €30,750,433
Source: Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government, 2006
41.7.1 Environmental Benefits – Prevention
It is apparent from Table 41-1 above that the revenue earned from the landfill levy
increased between 2005 and 2006. In 2006, of the €30,750,433 generated in
income from the levy on the landfill of waste, €1,725, 866 was spent on “Waste
Prevention and National Market Development Group”, €408,304 was spent on
“Producer Responsibility Initiatives” and €3,649,342 was spent on “Environmental
Awareness” all of these aid waste prevention strategies.
The Landfill levy may have been an effective instrument for influencing C&D waste
management practices. However due to the exemption of the majority (70-80% on a
weight basis) of C&D waste (soils, concrete, brick, stones, etc.) from the Landfill levy,
this policy has probably been rather ineffective in preventing the overall generation of
C&D waste. In principle, the policy may have been effective in preventing and
reducing certain elements of C&D waste (including plastics, cardboard and metals)
going to landfill. However, the emphasis is likely to have been on improved
segregation.
41.7.2 Environmental Benefits Associated with Recycling
The landfill levy exemption which covers the majority (by weight) of C&D waste (soils,
concrete, brick, stones, etc.) has almost certainly encouraged the processing of C&D
waste in Ireland in order to separate the exempt fractions from those which are not
exempt. A by-product of this processing activity has probably been the separation of
metals and plastics which have been sent to re-processors for recycling, although
many operators will have been separating metals well in advance of the levy reflecting
the value of these materials.
The 2007 EPA Waste Report does not provide any figures to quantify the recycling of
these materials. This is possibly due to the shortfall in the submission of annual
reports by permitted facilities, a fact highlight in recent EPA Waste Reports. Indeed,
the EPA Waste Report figures are somewhat misleading if read at face value in that