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

ased instruments, or through regulatory mechanisms, or through a combination of
both.
51.2 Recycling of Municipal Waste
The recycling rate for household waste was 7% in 2001. It has increased to 26% in
2007. These rates can be compared with commercial waste recycling rates of 24%
and 48% in 2001 and 2007, respectively.
It is important to understand the differences between the two and the potential for
performance to improve in both streams.
The most recent EPA Waste Report 2007 shows the estimated captures for different
components of the waste stream. 852 These are greater in the commercial stream for
all materials other than textiles (see Table 51-1 and Table 51-2). These figures are
shown diagrammatically in Figure 51-3 and Figure 51-4.
Table 51-1: Quantities and Captures for Recovery, Household Waste
Total Total Landfilled Landfilled % Recovered Recovered %
Paper 385,074 187,350 48.7 197,724 51.3
Glass 131,300 38,759 29.5 92,540 70.5
Plastic 195,881 153,662 78.4 42,219 21.6
Ferrous 23,590 17,188 72.9 6,402 27.1
Aluminium 22,213 16,876 76 5,337 24
Other Metals 2,218 1,513 68.2 705 31.8
Textiles 199,571 188,680 94.5 10,891 5.5
Organics 444,579 406,182 91.4 38,397 8.6
Wood 23,261 15,051 64.7 8,210 35.3
Others 197,803 175,719 88.8 22,085 11.2
Total Total
1,625,490 1,200,980 1,200,980 73.9 73.9 424,510 424,510 26.1
26.1
Source: EPA (2009) National Waste Report 2007, Johnstown Castle Estate: EPA.
What is striking, from the graphic representation, given the objectives of the Landfill
Directive, is the fact that:
1) The capture of the single largest stream in municipal waste – the organics – is
very low, at around 9%. It seems quite likely that this is heavily concentrated on
the garden waste fraction;
2) Very large quantities of paper (and card) remain uncaptured, although capture
rates are estimated as being above 50% in both streams; and
852 A problem with this data appears to be the lack of correspondence between the assumed
composition of waste in the EPA report, and the estimated composition of waste, as set out in the
EPA’s Waste Characterisation Study. The composition of household waste in the EPA Waste report is
not the same as the composition of household waste in the Characterisation Study. The way in which
the data has been derived is worthy of some closer examination.
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International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes