Landfills

About 64% of municipal waste produced in Ireland is sent to landfill sites. Recycling rates have increased every year since 1995 to the current level of 36%. (National Waste Report, EPA, 2007) However, the volume of waste being produced by households and businesses has continued to increase. Legislation from the EU and the Irish Government has stated that landfill must be the last option for waste disposal. All other options, like recycling, minimisation, prevention and re-use, must first be considered before the landfill option. All landfill facilities are licensed and routinely inspected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to ensure that they are operated correctly and will not cause environmental pollution. A waste licence is a single integrated licence, which deals with emissions to all environmental media (e.g., air, water and soil). The licence also covers the environmental management of the site.

Under the Waste Management (Landfill Levy) Regulations (2002), a landfill levy is in operation. This means that there is currently a Government levy of €20 per tonne of waste disposed of in landfill. This levy is payable on top of whatever fee the landfill operator charges for use of the site. Money from this levy will go towards the Environmental Fund set up by the Government to provide finance for environmental projects. While the levy is standard in all landfill sites, gate fees will vary from site to site. General commercial waste is charged by weight (tonne).

Further information on landfilling in Ireland may be found on the Department of the Environment website and on Citizen Information website.

In Wicklow there are two municipal waste landfills in operation. One is owned and operated by Wicklow County Council and is at Rampere outside Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow (Waste Licence WW0066-02). The general public may bring waste for landfilling to Rampere where Wicklow County Council also has a Recycling Centre.

Rampere Landfill and Recycling Centre - 162kb

The other landfill is privately owned by Greenstar at Ballynagran, Coolbeg, Co.Wicklow (Waste Licence W0165-1) and is not open to the general public but is used by the waste industry for landfilling municipal waste.

The public may also bring waste for landfilling to the Greenstar facility at Fassaroe. This is a transfer and sorting station for waste, where municipal waste materials are sorted for recycling and landfilling. (WL Reg.No WW53-03)

Greenstar info

A full list of Licensed Facilities in County Wicklow is available on Department of the Environment website

You may search for detailed information on any Waste Licensed Facility on the Department of the Environment website