Northern Ireland continues to fall behind other parts of the United Kingdom in recycling. Figures just released show households in Northern Ireland were recycling less than a third of their waste in the first quarter of 2010. By contrast, homes in England were already recycling at the rate of 34 per cent by 2007/2008.
Northern Ireland’s domestic recycling rate in the first three months of this year was up by just 0.2 per cent over the same period in 2009. Meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is forecasting England’s recycling rate will hit 40 per cent by the end of this year. Northern Ireland’s poor record on domestic recycling is putting the country in conflict with European regulations. Failure to meet the European Union Landfill Directive definition of significant improvements in the management of waste could see Northern Ireland facing stiff penalties.
But it’s not all trashy news for Northern Ireland. The overall volume of waste produced there appears to be on the way down. The latest figures show the amount of waste generated in the first quarter of 2010 was 2.4 per cent less than the same period last year. Paper and green waste comprised the bulk of waste output, at 33 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively.
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