Waste

The DOE is responsible for the drafting of legislation on waste, the implementation of waste management policy and the promotion of a more sustainable approach to dealing with waste in Northern Ireland.

The Waste Unit within Planning and Environmental Policy Group works with various bodies in particular with our colleagues in the Environment & Heritage Service to develop and implement a wide range of government policies in Northern Ireland.

Some of the topics covered include Hazardous Waste, Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment and Producer Responsibility. For information on these and other topics go to the further information list on this page.

You can also access information on the EHS Waste homepage

Waste Infrastructure Task Force

A Task Force was established in April 2005, to consider and report on the steps required to facilitate the delivery of the waste infrastructure necessary to enable Northern Ireland to meet national and European waste management targets up to the year 2020. It drew its membership from key stakeholder organisations in both central and local government and is chaired by Ian Maye, latterly Director of this Division and now Director of Local Government Reform; the vice–chair is Councillor Patricia Lewsley, MLA.

At an event in Clifton House on Monday 11 December, the Minister, David Cairns, was presented with the findings of the Waste Infrastructure Task Force. The publication of the Report will mark the completion of the Task Force’s business. Planning and Environmental Policy Group will take the work of the Task Force forward.

report.front.cover (89KB)

report.to.minister (172KB)

Strategic Waste Board

The new Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland entitled “Towards Resource Management”, published in March 2006, sets out the Department of the Environment’s (DOE) plans to modernise waste management policies and practices to take account of new EU Directives and recent advances in waste management technology, and emphasises Government’s commitment to playing a lead role in driving forward strategy actions and targets and monitoring its implementation.

As a demonstration of this commitment, the Department has established a new Ministerially-chaired advisory committee, the Strategic Waste Board (the Board), to oversee the strategy delivery programme and to monitor and measure progress across all six strands of the Strategy.  The Board brings central and local government together in partnership and also provides a forum for the discussion of key waste policy issues.

The Board is chaired by the Minister for the Environment and comprises senior representatives from all the key statutory organisations, from both central and local government, with a role to play in delivering Strategy commitments, including representation from the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) and the Strategic Investment Board.

The Inaugural meeting of the Strategic Waste Board was held on Tuesday 20th February 2007.

Click here to view the “Towards Resource Management” the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy (2.06MB)

Click here to view the minutes of the Strategic Waste Board 20th February 2007 (21KB)

Click here to view the minutes of the Strategic Waste Board 28 June 2007 (24KB)

Click here to view the minutes of the Strategic Waste Board 24th October 2007 (23KB)

Click here to view the minutes of the Strategic Waste Board 5th December 2007 (19KB)