Introduction

In recent years, waste management has become an important concern within the private and public sectors. This has been due, in part, to the growing volume of waste and environmental legislation on a European and National level, including the Landfill Directive, the Waste Management Acts of 1996 to 2003, The Litter Act, the Waste Management and Packaging Regulations and Bye-Laws for Local Authorities, and the Regional Waste Management Plans.

Stemming from this are requirements for waste management outlined in City and County Development Plans, planning conditions for developments and particularly the obligatory waste recycling targets in Regional Waste Management Plans. Making provision within new and existing developments for sustainable and proper waste management is no longer a good practice procedure, it is a necessity. Given the ever increasing costs of waste disposal to landfill and high probability of future increases in landfill tax, recycling is proving a far more cost effective method for dealing with waste than disposal to landfill.

Designing new residential, commercial and industrial facilities that incorporate correctly sized and specified facilities for waste separation, segregation, storage, handling and processing will ensure that the capital and operational costs associated with waste management for a development, during both construction and operational stages are minimised.