If you are looking for an Application form or Council Document you will find them in the All Publications section of this website or alternatively if you are looking for an Environment document or Applications form you can find in Environment Documents & Forms section of this website.

As a business owner you have a huge role in ensuring the environmentally sound management of waste. This waste can take the form of electrical or electronic equipment or indeed packaging material. Please review the guidelines provided below.

Grease Management

Grease refers to fats and oils found in wastewater. It is commonly referred to as FOG ( Fats, Oils and Greases ). It is generated in huge quantities in food businesses and originates from butter, lard, vegetable fats, oils, meats, nuts and cereals.

Why is Grease such a Problem

The main reason why grease causes problems is because it doesn’t break down easily and solidifies with lower temperatures. The main problems associated with grease entering the sewerage system are accumulation on pipes and equipment, blockages and increases in the time and money required to treat the waste at the wastewater treatment plant.

New Food Waste Regulations

The Food Waste Regulations 2009 require businesses where food waste is created to segregate it into a dedicated bin and ensure that it is not mixed with other waste streams. The Food Waste Regulations were introduced to help reach diversion targets under the EU Landfill Directive the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government. The new regulations ( Waste Management ( Food Waste ) Regulations 2009 ( S.I. No. 508 of 2009 )) are aimed at the commercial sector.

If you run a pub, hotel, supermarket, canteen, college, large guest house, restaurant or café that produces food waste then these regulations apply to you. Under the new Regulations from 1st July 2011 all food waste arising on the premises will need to be segregated at source and kept separate from other waste and contaminants. The segregated food waste should then be made available for collection or transferred directly by the producer for the purposes of authorised treatment. Alternatively the waste may be treated on the premises under specified conditions.

Specified premises include ( See Schedule 1 of the Regulations for exact wording ):

1. Premises that supply hot food for eating on or off the premises, including where this is just a subsidiary activity.
2. Pubs where food is supplied.
3. Premises where food is supplied to employees.
4. Hotels, guest houses, and hostels with > 4 guest bedrooms.
5. Shops or supermarkets selling food, including sandwiches or hot food, including where this is just a subsidiary activity.
6. Restaurants, cafés, bistros, wine bars, etc. where food is prepared on the premises.
7. Hospitals, nursing homes, etc., where food is prepared on the premises.
8. Schools, colleges, higher level institutions, training centres, etc., where food is prepared on the premises.
9. State buildings where food is prepared on the premises, including prisons, barracks, government departments, local authorities, etc.
10. Stations, airports, ports, harbours and marinas where food waste is unloaded.

Implementation of the regulations should not conflict with food safety and hygiene standards. Producers must take reasonable measures to minimise odours and nuisance on their premises.

Carlow Local Authorities may request that a producer prepare and submit an annual environmental report in respect of performance on food waste management. In addition, organisers of trade shows, exhibitions and events where food is supplied must prepare a food waste management plan before and reports after the event, on the provisions made to meet these Regulations. The Council may also request a food waste management implementation report after the event.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has launched an information website, www.foodwaste.ie and compliled a list of frequently asked questions and their views on the issues raised ( see below ). This document is available in the “All Publications” section of this website or alternatively in the Environment Documents & Forms section of this website)

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

The WEEE directive aims to reduce the waste arising from electrical and electronic equipment and to improve the environmental performance of all those involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic products. The WEEE and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances ( RoHS ) directives require an improvement in the way we manage our electrical and electronic waste. They seek to encourage manufacturers to develop more environmentally friendly products.

If you are a customer you can request your retailer to accept a similar waste appliance or product when you are buying a new one.

If you are a retailer you are obliged to accept a similar waste appliance or product when a customer is buying a new product. Retailers are also obliged to meet the following requirements.

1. Be registered with their local authority.
2. Provide for free in store takeback of household WEEE on a one for one basis on the sale of a new like product.
3. Ensure that any WEEE collected is delivered to an approved recycling facility.
4. Ensure that the storage and transport of WEEE collected as above meets the requirements of the regulations.
5. Ensure that private households are informed of the Restriction on Hazardous Substances take back facilities available to them and that they are encouraged to participate in the separate collection ofWEEE.

Tyre and Waste Tyre Regulations

There are approximately 3 million tyres placed on the Irish Market each year. An estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste tyres are generated in Ireland each year though data on this waste stream is deficient; hence the need to put in place a system for tracking waste tyre flows. Waste tyres are not in themselves a hazardous waste, but have the potential to cause environmental pollution if disposed of incorrectly.

The Waste Management ( Tyres and Waste Tyres ) Regulations 2007 are designed to promote the environmentally sound management of waste tyres. They provide a regulatory framework for comparing quantities of waste tyres arising with the quantities placed on the market and in tracking the movement of waste tyres from the time they are discarded until they are either reused or processed for recycling and/or recovery. The Regulations came into effect on 1st January 2008.

Obligations and Regulations

The Regulations impose obligations on persons who supply tyres to the Irish market, whether as manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, traders, or retailers and/or the collectors of waste tyres. An exemption from these obligations is available to persons who participate in a voluntary compliance scheme operated by an approved body.

Manufacturers, retreaders, remoulders and importers are required to provide details of the quantities of tyres they place on the market. Wholesalers and retailers are prohibited from transferring waste tyres to anybody except an authorised waste collector. Wholesalers and retailers are required to provide details of tyres sold and waste tyres taken back and transferred to authorised waste collectors. Those that place tyres on the Irish Market must register with their Local Authority if they have not registered with an Industry Compliance Scheme. ( see below )

Authorised waste collectors are required to register with their Local Authority from February 2008 if they have not registered with an Industry Compliance Scheme ( see below ). They are obliged to report on the quantities of waste tyres collected and transferred to third parties including farmers, recyclers, retreaders, remoulders and other recovery operators. Recovery operators will be required to issue ‘ Certificates of Recovery ‘ to authorised waste collectors depositing waste tyres with them.

Individuals/companies found passing their waste on to unauthorised collectors face prosecution under Section 32 of the Waste Management Acts, as amended, and could be fined up to €3,000 and or 6 months imprisonment sentence on summary conviction. If such waste is disposed of that causes environmental pollution, and a charge for clean up may also be charged.

Industry Compliance Schemes

There is one industry compliance schemes which not only will track the movement of tyres from when they are placed on the market until sold to end users, but more importantly to trace waste tyres from the time they are discarded until they are either reused or reprocessed for recycling.

Repak ELT
Red Cow Interchange Estate
Clondalkin
Dublin 22
D22 HW67
email: [email protected]
Tel: + 353 (0)1 461 8600
Fax: + 353 (0)1 403 0929

Registration with your Local County Council

An exemption from these obligations is available to persons who participate in a voluntary compliance scheme operated by an approved body.

However, if you supply tyres to the Irish Market, whether as manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, traders, or retailers or you are involved in the collection of waste tyres and are not a member of an approved compliance scheme, then you must register annually with your Local Authority, and pay annual registration and re-registration fees. Detailed reporting on quantities of tyres placed on the market or taken in since January 1st 2008 must be made to your Local Authority. Registration forms are available from the Environment Department of Carlow County Council by contacting 059-9136230 or are available in the All Publications section of this website or alternatively in the Environment Documents & Forms section of this website).

Registration Fees

1. Producers: €25 per tonne of tyres supplied in the functional area of the local authority concerned; minimum fee of €750.
2. Suppliers ( wholesalers, retailers etc. ): €100 in respect of each premises.
3. Authorised waste collectors: €100 in respect of each premises.
4. Farmers: €20 in respect of each farm.New regulations on the management of waste tyres come into force on the 1 January 2008. These regulations affect producers, retailers, collectors and any persons using waste tyres, such as farmers, who use waste tyres to anchor silage.

Packaging Regulations

The Act and the regulations make it a requirement for businesses to separate and recycle all their recyclable packaging waste.

Those classed as producers of packaging are all persons who in the course of business supply packaging material, packaging, or packaged products e.g. shops, pubs, supermarkets, fast food outlets, wholesalers, manufacturers, importers, exporters. All such are referred to as ‘producers’ or ‘major producers’ of packaging and thus are bound by the regulations.

Packaging Regulations Advice

1. Segregate all your waste by material. For example, used cardboard boxes, glass and steel.
2. Arrange a suitable, secure space to store your recyclables. If you do not have enough storage spaces try to arrange a more frequent collection or delivery.
3. Ensure that all staff are trained and thoroughly familiar with the procedures for dealing with waste.
4. If possible bale the separated material. This will reduce the amount of space your waste takes up and will make it more attractive to a waste collector. If your volumes of waste are too small to justify a collection, perhaps you could pool your waste with another commercial or industrial outlet.
5. Keep your waste disposal and recycling costs down by keeping your waste to a minimum. Minimise and re-use as much of your waste as you can. Find out what your suppliers are doing to reduce the amount of packaging waste you receive. Perhaps they will take back some items for re-use.

Packaging Regulation Costs

It should be borne in mind that recycling will cost money and that market prices will fluctuate. To return to a situation where re-usable materials are dumped is completely unacceptable.

For some materials that have a high value you may be paid, e.g. aluminium cans. For others, a collection service may be provided free of charge as the cost of collection is almost as high as the value of the returned material. In some cases there may be a cost to you if the material is difficult or expensive to sort e.g. timber.

Waste Management ( Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries ) Regulations 2009

The Extractive Waste Regulations provide for measures and procedures to prevent or reduce as far as possible any adverse effects on the environment, in particular water, air, soil, fauna and flora and landscape, and any resultant risks to human health, brought about as a result of the management of waste from the extractive industries.

This covers not only the mining sector and its hazardous wastes, but also extends to inert waste arising from quarrying, sand and gravel extraction, and related activities.

Various elements of the Extractive Waste Regulations apply at all sites operated by the extractive industry. In summary, this includes the following requirements:

1. The general obligation that extractive waste does not cause a danger to human health or an unacceptable risk to the environment ( Regulation 4 ) or cause environmental deterioration ( Regulation 13 ).
2. The duty on all site operators to draw up extractive waste management plans ( Regulation 5 ).
3. The requirement that operators ensure that good practice is incorporated into an extractive waste facility’s design, operation, closure and aftercare ( Regulations 10-12 ).