Waste Regulation

Regulations:

The European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014 are designed to promote the recovery and recycling of packaging waste to achieve EU recovery and recycling targets.     REPAK is the operator of the national compliance scheme for packaging waste in Ireland.    

Obligations:  

The scheme imposes recycling obligations on commercial suppliers who place packaging or packaged products onto the Irish market.      All the applicable waste types must be separated at source and recovered using the services of an authorised waste collector.   The waste must not be contaminated in any way. Repak have produced a guide to the packaging and packaging waste regulations for producers of packaging in Ireland.     

https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Summary_of_EU_PPWR_February_2025.pdf  

Enforcement:  

Major producers of packaging waste (over 10 tonnes or turnover more than €1m annually) must register with the local authority as a Major Producer of Packaging Waste if they opt for self-compliance with the Regulations.   Alternatively, they can become a member of the approved compliance scheme operated by Repak Ltd - https://repak.ie/  

S.I. No. 282/2014 - European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014.  

Regulations:

The European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) Regulations 2014 focus on promoting the collection, treatment, recycling, and environmentally sound disposal of waste batteries and accumulators.    The scheme applies to portable batteries, industrial batteries, and automotive batteries.  WEEE Ireland and ERP are the operators of the national compliance schemes for waste batteries and accumulators in Ireland – WEEE Ireland is the operator applicable to County Galway.       

Obligations:  

The scheme requires retailers to take back waste batteries of the type they sell to consumers.  Retailers of portable batteries, or who sell electrical equipment which takes batteries, are required to provide a battery box at their retail outlet for these waste batteries and must ensure safe collection of these waste batteries by authorised waste collectors.     For their part, consumers must not dispose of waste batteries in the domestic bin and must bring them to a collection point or civic amenity site.    

Enforcement:  

All retailers of batteries and accumulators (unless selling only portable batteries) are required to register with WEEE Ireland and can access information on this process at https://www.producerregister.ie/.   Retailers selling automative or industrial batteries who are not registered with WEEE Ireland must register with the local authority annually.     Retailers may also have producer responsibilities under the Regulations - https://www.producerregister.ie/registration/   

S.I. No. 283/2014 - European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) Regulations 2014. 

Regulations: 

The European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2014 as amended are designed to promote the collection, treatment, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.    The regulations place responsibilities on producers, distributors, and consumers, to minimise the environmental impact of electronic waste.   WEEE Ireland is the operator of the national compliance scheme in County Galway.    

Obligations:  

The scheme requires retailers to take back electronic waste and WEEE Ireland manage a series of collection points in Ireland.    WEEE can also be disposed of free of charge at Civic Amenity Sites.     

Enforcement:  

Under the regulations, each retail premises supplying electrical and electronic equipment must register as a retailer with their local authority or the Compliance Scheme for their area.   https://www.weeeireland.ie/retailers/retailer-registration-form/  

S.I. No. 149/2014 - European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations 2014. 

Regulations: 

The European Union (End-of-Life Vehicles) Regulations 2014 cover the safe disposal of passenger cars and light commercial vans at end-of-life to achieve EU targets for the reuse and recovery of vehicle components.   ELVES (ELV Environmental Services CLG) is the operator of the national compliance scheme set up by vehicle manufacturers in Ireland.    

Obligations:  

Under the Regulations, owners are required to deposit their end-of-life cars and vans at Authorised Treatment Facilities.   Vehicles are accepted free of charge and the owner receives a Certificate of Destruction to confirm the vehicle has been properly disposed of – this also updates the national vehicle records and motor taxation systems.  You can search for your nearest Authorised Treatment Facility here https://www.elves.ie/en  

Enforcement:  

Galway County Council authorises and maintains a register of authorised treatment facilities that manage end-of-life vehicles in County Galway.   Under the regulations, Galway County Council is responsible for enforcing requirements such as the registration of facilities and compliance with the Waste Facility Permit required for such facilities.    

S.I. No. 281/2014 - European Union (End-of-Life Vehicles) Regulations 2014. 

Regulations:

The Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2017 as amended promote the environmentally sound management of waste tyres.   Circol ELT is the operator of the national tyre compliance scheme in Ireland.    

Obligations:  

The Regulations place responsibilities on businesses selling tyres, or products with tyres, to join the compliance scheme to ensure the recycling of tyres and reporting of same.   The Compliance Scheme is funded by a visible Environmental Management Cost (vEMC) per tyre which must be displayed as a separate line item on all invoices and customer sales receipts for tyres.     Businesses may have to register with the scheme as a retailer and/or producer of tyres.   To register as a tyre retail operator, please visit https://circolelt.ie/membership/  

Enforcement:  

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the retailer obligations and Enforcement Officers visit members and non-members to monitor compliance with the regulations for tyre outlets and other such facilities.     The Environmental Protection Agency enforce the regulations regarding producers of tyres.    

S.I. No. 400/2017 - Waste Management (Tyres and Waste Tyres) Regulations 2017. 

Regulations: 

The Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001 as amended are designed to assist the improved recovery of waste farm plastics.    The Irish Farm Film Producers Group (IFFPG) is the operator of the national compliance scheme for farm plastics in Ireland.    

Obligations:  

Farm plastics include silage and baled silage plastics, in addition to fertiliser bags, feed bags and containers, all of which must be collected and recycled under the scheme.    The scheme works by charging a levy on all farm plastics sold and this is used to assist in the recovery of the plastics.    Farmers can request farmyard collections or bring their farm plastics to Collection Points at designated locations which are arranged throughout the year in partnership with local authorities.    You can check the dates of upcoming collections at https://farmplastics.ie/pick-up-dates/ and get further information on the scheme at their website https://farmplastics.ie/ 

Enforcement:  

Galway County Council authorises and maintains a register of farm plastics producers and ensure they are in compliance with the regulations, in particular that the sale of all farm plastics includes the Producer Recycling Contribution. Suspected illegal activity under the regulations can be reported to the Environment Department or the IFFPG at info@farmplastics.ie   

S.I. No. 341/2001 - Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations, 2001 

Regulations: 

The Waste Management (Environmental Levy) (Plastic Bag) Regulations 2001 were implemented in 2022 to encourage the use of recyclable bags and reduce littering from plastic bags.   Since the introduction of the levy, the amount of plastic bag litter has been reduced dramatically.   

Obligations:  

Retailers are obliged to apply the plastic bag levy at the point of sale if a customer requests a plastic bag.   There are certain exceptions such as small plastic bags for fruit, fish, ice, and cooked foods.   The Revenue Commissioners handle the collection of the levy from retailers.    The proceeds are lodged into an Environmental Fund which pays for a range of environmental awareness projects and enforcement measures.    

Enforcement:  

Galway County Council is responsible for enforcing the Plastic Bag Levy in its functional area by ensuring all retailers are applying the levy and itemising it separately on receipts.   Members of the public can also report instances where the plastic bag levy is not being applied to the Environment Department.      

Waste Management (Environmental Levy) (Plastic Bag) Regulations, 2001 - S.I. No. 605/2001 

Regulations:  

Extractive waste means waste from the extractive industries, which is waste resulting from the prospecting, extraction, treatment and storage of mineral resources for commercial purposes, including extraction by drilling boreholes, or treatment of the extracted waste.  The governing regulations provide for measures and procedures to prevent or reduce any adverse effects on the environment, for example, on air, water, soil, flora and fauna, landscape and human health.     

Obligations:  

Companies involved in extraction for commercial purposes, for example, minerals, quarrying and peat, must register with either the EPA or the local authority.   Operators from such facilities have a responsibility to ensure that waste from the facility is managed without risk to the environment, in accordance with a waste management plan.  

Enforcement:  

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority for the implementation of the Directive in relation to high-risk facilities.     Other facilities are licensed and monitored by the local authority and Galway County Council ensures that relevant facilities are registered on the EPA website at https://www.epa.ie/ei/#/register -including those involved in:  

•  the extraction, treatment and storage of mineral resources 
•  the working of quarries 
• the extraction, treatment and storage of peat. 

S.I. No. 566/2009 - Waste Management (Management of Waste From the Extractive Industries) Regulations 2009 

Regulations:  

These regulations impose obligations on the generators of food waste such as restaurants and cafés, hot food outlets, forecourt vendors & canteens, hotels and guesthouses, hospitals, universities, airports, supermarkets and other food retailers or State Buildings where food is prepared and/or consumed.     The Regulations also makes event organisers of trade shows, exhibitions, concerts or other large public events, responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of the regulations.   

Obligations:  

It is an offence to deposit food in the general waste bin under the regulations and businesses must segregate food waste for separate collection by an authorised waste collection.   

Alternatively, businesses may opt to directly transfer their food waste to an authorised facility, or treat the material on their own premises, subject to approval from the Local Authority.  

Enforcement:  

Failure of businesses to properly segregate their food waste is an offence and waste collectors must inform the relevant Local Authority of persons who have refused to avail of a source-segregated food waste collection service if available.   The on-site treatment of commercial food waste may require a Certificate of Registration for any on-site processing of food waste, in addition to a Waste Facility Permit and food waste management plans and reports.   

S.I. No. 508/2009 - Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009

S.I. No. 294/2024 - Waste Management (Food Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Regulations:  

The European Union (Mercury) Regulations (S.I. No. 533 of 2018) provide for the enforcement of the requirements of EU Regulation 2017/852.    Due to the wide-ranging nature of the Mercury Regulations, they are enforced by several bodies including the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Revenue Commissioners, Dental Council of Ireland, and Local Authorities.

Obligations:  

The regulations aim to reduce mercury use and manage its disposal, including specific rules for dental amalgam.   Under the regulations, all Mercury waste must be properly managed and stored; and disposed of by using the services of an authorised waste collector. 

Enforcement:  

Local Authorities monitor compliance with the regulations by operators of dental facilities within their area.   

S.I. No. 533/2018 - European Union (Mercury) Regulations 2018