arc21 has repeated its warning that Northern Ireland risks consciously stumbling into a waste crisis in a response to 10 local MPs who signed a joint letter last month urging the Minister for Infrastructure to refuse planning permission for new waste infrastructure at Hightown Quarry, Mallusk.
arc21’s planning application was lodged over seven years ago and has been recommended for approval by professional planners on three occasions, including by an independent Planning Appeals Commission process. It includes proposals for a recycling facility which will improve council recycling rates by 5%-10% and an Energy from Waste plant that will generate electricity and potential heat energy from black bin rubbish. Tim Walker, acting CEO of arc21 said: “Northern Ireland unfortunately has a track record of not taking decisions to invest in critical infrastructure, including waste facilities. Although it’s 20-years since Stormont identified the need to develop modern waste infrastructure, we have made so little progress that the entire system is in danger of falling over. That would create a multitude of unpleasant consequences for the environment, ratepayers and our national and international reputation. The reality is that we produce far too much rubbish that can’t be recycled, and drastically reducing that will take years to achieve. In the meantime, we need a reliable, affordable solution that deals with our incessant, daily dumping of rubbish. It’s great that Government is now addressing the climate crisis by setting world-leading goals as well as recognising the need to build a green economy, but that means we need to stop sending waste to landfill and stop exporting it overseas. If we’re also being told, however, that we can’t develop new infrastructure like the rest of Europe to handle our rubbish, where is it going to go? It can’t just be wished away.” In its response to the MPs arc21 advised that according to the latest quarterly statistics from DAERA, Northern Ireland’s recycling rate had fallen below 50% and that tonnages sent to landfill increased. It also highlighted that the amount of waste collected by NI councils has risen by almost 10% (c.85,000 tonnes) since 2012/13. arc21 also cited a report by one the UK’s leading waste consultancies which concluded that even if the Hightown Quarry facilities are built, alongside existing thermal treatment facilities and recycling rates improve to 65%, by 2035 Northern Ireland will still produce 124,000 tonnes more waste than it has capacity to treat locally.Mr Walker added: “Within the arc21 region we produce around 15 million wheelie bins’ worth of rubbish every year which can’t be recycled. If we build modern infrastructure, we can use this rubbish to create electricity, heat energy and jobs, reduce CO2 emissions by 57,000 tonnes annually compared to landfill, increase recycling and provide an opportunity to make clean fuels such as hydrogen. If we don’t build new infrastructure, we are consciously risking an entirely avoidable crisis. arc21 is following a rigorous public procurement process to deliver the project which will include a final, detailed business case if planning permission is granted. Following an independent appraisal, if this is considered to provide value-for-money, arc21’s councils will have the final say on whether the project proceeds.” Last month the DAERA Minister, Edwin Poots, confirmed that in 2019/20 over 235,000 tonnes of Northern Ireland council collected waste was sent to countries such as Turkey, Indonesia, Ghana, Great Britain and USA. A further 240,000 tonnes of household waste was landfilled. These figures don’t take into account additional Commercial and Industrial waste which also needs to be treated. In December 2020, it was reported that some waste from Northern Ireland bound for an Energy from Waste plant in the USA was lost overboard and washed up on the shoreline of Maine.
