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

easonable to assume that the landfill levy would encourage C&D waste prevention
and minimisation. However, significant quantities of the heavier fraction of C&D
waste (70 - 80% of overall), exempt from the landfill levy, are used for engineered
purposes at landfills. In addition, in many cases this exempted material is charged
into landfills at significantly reduced gate fees. According to practitioners in the waste
management industry, the majority of the lighter fraction of C&D waste (plastics,
cardboard, etc.) extracted in waste recovery facilities continues to be disposed of in
landfill. 749
The current availability of landfill capacity is driving gate fees down and an increase in
the landfill levy may be appropriate to ensure that relatively low gate fees do not
undermine the ongoing progress in waste prevention and minimisation. It is proposed
that the landfill levy be examined with a view to making landfill more expensive. This
would be expected to make economically marginal waste prevention measures (in
relation to the lighter fraction of C&D waste) more attractive to waste producers. It is
clear that waste management practices for the heavier fraction of C&D waste are
immune to an increase in the landfill levy due to the exemption afforded to the stone
and soil fractions.
The use of C&D waste fines, exempt from the landfill levy, for engineered purposes
(as landfill cover) has intensified odour problems at certain landfill facilities. The high
content of sulphur, originating from plasterboard, in the C&D fines can contribute to
the generation of hydrogen sulphide. Many facilities have curtailed the use of C&D
waste fines as landfill cover for this reason. It is worth noting that many countries
have banned, or are in the process of banning, gypsum from landfills.
Key Success Factors of the Landfill levy include:
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� Simple measure and easy to enforce; and
� Political backing for implementation.
Future Changes/ Modifications to the landfill levy are likely to include:
� Increase in landfill levy rates;
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• It is proposed that the landfill levy be examined with a view to making
landfill more expensive. This would be expected to make economically
marginal waste prevention and minimisation activities, particularly in
relation to the lighter fraction of C&D waste, more attractive to C&D
contractors.
• As mentioned earlier, certain C&D waste is exempt from the landfill levy
charge, (although a gate fee will still be in effect), while these materials
are used positively for engineered purposes on landfill sites this
arrangement may have negatively influenced C&D waste prevention
749 It should be noted that this is not entirely in line with the reporting by the EPA, though neither is it
completely inconsistent with it if one takes into account the difficulties the EPA faces in reconciling
figures on the collection and management of waste (see EPA (2009) National Waste Report 2007,
Wexford: EPA and also above).