Clare County Council has been set a number of key targets in relation waste prevention activities.
Among the policies and actions included in the new Southern Region Waste Management Plan, one of three such plans being launched in Ireland, is a 1% reduction per annum in the quantity of household waste generated per capita over the six-year period of the plan, a recycling rate of 50% of managed municipal waste by 2020, and a reduction to 0% the direct disposal of unprocessed residual municipal waste to landfill commencing in 2016.
The preparation of new regional waste management plans for the regions has been underway since late 2013 following an evaluation of the previous plans, which covered 10 regions nationally. The Southern Waste Region encompasses local authorities in Carlow, Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick City and County, Tipperary, Waterford City and County and Wexford.
Welcoming the new plan at a launch event held at LIT Thurles, Tom Coughlan, chief executive of Clare County Council, said, “The plan seeks to assist and support the community and local business to develop resource efficiency and waste prevention initiatives.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.