Waste Management Strategy

In 2006, the Government produced the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy. The aim of the Waste Management Strategy is to help us manage waste and resources effectively. This means using material resources in a way that reduces the quantities of waste produced and, where waste is generated, to manage it in a way that minimises its impact on the environment and public health and contributes positively to economic and social development.

Since the publication of the first Waste Management Strategy in 2000, significant progress has been made in improving waste management in Northern Ireland:

The backlog of waste management legislation needed to meet EU and national requirements has been cleared;
Three sub-regional Waste Management Groups have been formed and Waste Management Plans have been adopted. These fulfil the requirement to produce waste management plans under the EU Waste Framework Directive and set out short term implementation;
The number of materials recycling facilities (MRF) for household and commercial and industrial waste has increased considerably. Northern Ireland’s infrastructure capacity (over 600,000 tonnes) currently outstrips the amount of waste being collected;
Household waste recycling has increased from 5% in 1999 to 35% in 2008; and
Data collection and reporting for municipal waste has been improved, allowing progress to be measured more accurately.