Landfill wastefigures suggest rise

Department of Environment figures released in response to a Written Assembly Question show that 41,781 tonnes of waste was dumped in Londonderry in 2008/9 but within three quarters of 2009/10 up to 35,895 tonnes had already been taken away to landfill.

If the dumping rate witnessed in the first three quarters continued between January and March 2009/10 the total amount of waste landfilled over the year would have increased on the figures recorded in the two years previous.

The data suggests a similar trend across the entire NWRWMG which comprises Derry City Council, Limavady Borough Council, Strabane District Council, Coleraine Borough Council, Moyle District Council, Ballymoney District Council and Magherafelt District Council.

In 2008/9 the total tonnage landfilled across the seven councils was 126,857 but within just three quarters of 2009/10 104,157 tonnes of waste had been dumped.

Once again if this three quarterly rate continued between January and March 2010 NWRWMG would have recorded an annual increase in the amount of waste landfilled.

But NWRWMG explained that the figures have not yet been validated and said a final annual reconciliation for the preceding financial year will only available in December 2010.

The body - a voluntary coalition responsible for delivering effective waste management infrastructure in the North West - also said it was confident recycling, diversion and infrastructure schemes will ensure the final year-end figures will not show an increase in dumping.

A spokesperson on behalf of NWRWMG said: “The municipal waste landfilled 2009/10 (Apr – Dec only) data in the written Assembly question was taken from the first three quarterly Municipal Waste Management Statistics reports authored by the Central Statistics Research Branch in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

“The figures in these reports are published as ‘provisional estimates’ with a final annual reconciliation for the preceding financial year only available in the following December.

“Thus there may be some discrepancy between provisional in-year figures and the final reconciled figures.

“As the written Assembly question contained both such data types, it may not have been clear that the in-year figures were provisional and subject to change following further validation.

“Current developments such as the NWRWMG’s infrastructure project and the continuing recycling and diversion activities of the Councils within the North West Group, lead us to conclude that the final year-end figures will not show an increase in the amount of waste sent to landfill.”