History

The origins of arc21 can be traced back to June 1999, when a small number of council representatives agreed that a joint approach was the best way to deliver an effective waste management strategy for the region. By 2000, 11 councils had joined together to form the Eastern Region Waste Management Group, which was eventually renamed arc21.

arc21 issued a draft Waste Management Plan for public consultation in February 2002.  It considered various options and suggested how the region's waste should be managed until 2020. The Plan was subsequently approved by Government and adopted by arc21’s constituent councils in 2003.

The Waste Management Plan was reviewed in 2006 and, following further public consultation, was approved by Northern Ireland’s Department of the Environment and arc21’s councils.

At present, arc21 has successfully awarded and is managing waste management contracts on behalf of our councils with a value of over £200m.  Thanks to our collective approach, these contracts have resulted in annual savings of £7m.