Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has welcomed the fact that both household and local authority collected municipal landfill rates in Northern Ireland have decreased to their lowest levels ever, at just over 50%.
The latest figures, for the period January to March 2013, show a 7% decrease compared to the same period last year. Further positive news came from an increase in the proportion of non-compostable household and municipal waste sent for recycling, which increased by 0.7% and 1%, respectively. Waste produced by householders also dropped significantly from 9,149 to 5,774 tonnes.
Commenting on the reduction, Minister Durkan said, "The reduction in landfill to their lowest ever levels is welcome news. This is the first time we have reached the point where as much of our waste doesn't go to landfill, as goes to landfill. I welcome also that the recycling rate for products that cannot be composted continue to increase. A partnership approach between councils, householders and my Department is the only way forward to continue the good work which is still best summed up as reduce, reuse, recycle."
He continued, "I intend to progress both the environmental and economic benefits by setting ourselves higher recycling targets to make more use of our resources and open up new business opportunities. As people embrace measures to reduce waste they benefit not only their local communities, but also help address global climate change too, surely the best of both worlds."
