Where does our rubbish go?

theguzman wrote:

Where does Rubbish go in Ireland now? I understand alot of county dumps and landfill sites around Ireland have closed since. I know the Incinerator in Poolbeg in Dublin is handling alot of Dublin's residual waste. But where are those black bags I throw into the Waste Transfer for €5 each going? I am a fan of incineration as it is a better solution than landfill and turns waste to energy instead of burying plastics which will take millions of years to breakdown.

I'd love to know this myself, it sounds like a lot of our waste leaves the country, particularly e waste. I was on a fairly major landfill site in meath a few years ago, I'd imagine it's not the only such site in the country, was well impressed by the control measures on site, but I'd agree, incineration is the way to go, there is another incinerator in meath. My suspicions are, the majority of our waste is indeed landfilled, either here, or in other countries, I may stand corrected on that though

skippey wrote: »

Not as much as you'd think goes to landfill nowadays, most of the black bag waste is either sent off to poolbeg or the meath incinerator or exported abroad to Europe for incineration.

That's not my information.

Waterford Port for one bale waste, looks like a bale of silage, same technique, it's then lifted on to a cargo ship to go abroad. Waste from many counties go to Dublin for incineration, and go to Waterford for baling.
I can imagine most major ports are baling waste.

Del.Monte wrote: »

Well, when I recently had problems with (AES) Bord na Mona's operation I was told that the bulk of their waste in this area goes to landfill. Perhaps County Wexford is unique in this respect but I doubt it.

most waste operators in the country don't have their own landfill so they will use what makes the most economic disposal method to them which is currently incineration or export.
there's a €75 a ton government levy on all rubbish landfilled which i think dosen't apply to incineration as far as I'm aware

All my waste/surplus/spoiled food (except meat, bones, egg shells) goes into a garden compostor, which needs emptying into flower beds about every third year. Timber gets broken up to use as kindling.

Not sure about where the glass, cardboard, batteries and old fashioned waste go, but I cooperate with the authorities and sort as best I can. If the authorities are being economical with the truth, I hope they are working toward not needing to play that card.
I suspect a lot of their recycling is 'energy recycling' i.e. incineration.