All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study

Transcription

1 All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study working to create markets for recycled materials

2 Written by: Fehily Timoney & Company, Resource Futures and rx3 All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study

3 All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study rx3 Floor 2 Block 2, West Pier Business Campus, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Telephone: 1890 RECYCLE info@rx3.ie Website: rx3 is funded by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government i

4 rx3 rethink recycle remake 2013 All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged. All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Published by rx3 Disclaimer rx3 has taken due care in the preparation of this document to ensure that all facts and analysis presented are as accurate as possible within the scope of the project. However rx3 makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the use of any information disclosed in this document, or assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or damage resulting in any way from the use of any information disclosed in this document. While care has been taken in the production of the publication, no responsibility is accepted by rx3 for any errors or omissions herein. This document does not purport to be and should not be considered a legal interpretation of the legislation referred to herein. ii

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS (PAGE 1 OF 2) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... XI 1 BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION AIMS AND OBJECTIVES PROJECT METHODOLOGY CIVIC AMENITY/RECYCLING CENTRES SURVEY RESULTS OF THE CA/RC SURVEY (REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ONLY) Ownership and Management of CA/RCs Tonnage Collected Materials Accepted at CA/RCs Potential for Reuse Reuse Activities and Awareness at CA/RCs REUSE SECTOR SURVEY REUSE SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND REUSE SECTOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND ESTIMATED ARISINGS NORTHERN IRELAND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND UNDERSTANDING DEMAND FOR REUSABLE ITEMS EXISTING OUTLETS CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CAPACITY OF REUSE ORGANISATIONS AREAS OF DEPRIVATION/POTENTIAL MARKETS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK Is the Material a Waste? What Type of Authorisation is Required for Preparing for Reuse? Other Legislation STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION STAKEHOLDER MEETING NON-WEEE ITEMS STAKEHOLDER MEETING WEEE REVIEW OF OPTIONS OVERVIEW OF CA/RC REUSE OPTIONS Scenario 3b: Segregated by Site Staff and Collected by a Reuse Specialist for Sale Off-site Communicating Reuse Options COSTS DEMONSTRATION/CASE STUDIES iii

6 9.3.1 Demonstration Study: Fingal County Council Partnering with the Rediscovery Centre Case Study: Revamp Case Study: FreeTrade Ireland Reuse Events Case Study: Derry City Council Partnering with the Resource Centre Derry Case Study: Limavady Borough Council Working with the Green Shed Case Study: Antrim Borough Council On-site Segregation for Off-site Resale Case Study: North Down Reuse Scheme On-site Segregation for Off-site Resale Demonstration study: Wicklow County Council and Reuse Organisation(s) CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Literature Review Opinions of CA/RCs and Reuse Organisations Bulky Waste Reuse Legal Framework RECOMMENDATIONS Develop a Reuse Protocol Reuse Training/Information Session Legislative Change Funding iv

7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Estimated Ownership and Management of all CA/RCs in ROI... 7 Figure 3.2: Storage Methods for Large Bulky Wastes and WEEE at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.3: Storage Methods for Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.4: Charging Mechanisms for Large Bulky Wastes at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.5: Charging Mechanisms for Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.6: Onward Destination of Large Bulky Wastes at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.7: Onward Destination of Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.8: Responsibility for Moving Materials Off-Site from CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.9: Opinions of Reuse at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.10: Reasons Against Reuse at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 3.11: Reasons Stated for not Accepting Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in ROI Figure 5.1: Estimated Category Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in the UK 2010/ Figure 5.2: Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in the UK Figure 5.3: Assessment of Reusability Figure 5.4: Reusability Assessment Applied to Estimated NI and ROI Arisings (items) Figure 5.5: Residents Opinion of Reusability Figure 5.6: Residents Reusability Assessment Applied to Estimated NI and ROI Arisings (items).. 33 Figure 7.1: Flow Chart of Legislative Requirements for Reuse and Preparing for Reuse Figure 9.1: Preferred Reuse Options at CA/RCs Figure 9.2: Costs Headings Associated with a CA/RC Bulky Waste System Figure 9.3: Reused Knitmaster Machine Figure 9.4: Reuse Area at the Recycling Centre v

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Ownership and Management of CA/RCs in ROI... 7 Table 3.2: Materials Collected at CA/RCs in ROI... 9 Table 3.3: CA/RCs Operating Reuse Initiatives in ROI Table 3.4: CA/RC Awareness of Reuse Potential and Local Reuse Activity Table 3.5: CA/RCs Interested in Taking Part in Pilot Trial in ROI Table 4.1: Reuse Organisation Survey Respondents (ROI) Table 5.1: Summary of CA/RC WDF Tonnages NI 2010/ Table 5.2: Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in NI Table 5.3: Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in ROI Table 9.1: Principal Costs for CA/RC Associated with Scenario 3b APPENDICES APPENDIX A Reuse Organisations No. of Pages 5 APPENDIX B Cost Model for Scenario 2a No. of Pages 3 APPENDIX C Reuse Targets (Directive 2012/19/EU) No. of Pages 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY No. of Pages 1 vi

9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study rx3 wishes to thank the working group stakeholders and all the survey respondents for their contribution to the study. Particular thanks go to the organisations that participated in the demonstration study and provided information for the case studies. rx3 would also like to thank a number of organisations for their time and assistance in the preparation of the study: the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), Department of Environment Northern Ireland (DOENI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Pobal, Trutz Haase and the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) NI & UK. vii

10 ABBREVIATIONS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Pound Sterling (Official Currency in Northern Ireland) ABC Antrim Borough Council BB Bring Bank BDEs Bromodiphenyl ethers CA/RC Civic Amenity Facility/Recycling Centre CD Compact Disc C&I Commercial & Industrial Waste CRN Community Reuse Network CRT Cathode Ray Tube C&SES Community and Social Enterprise Sector CSP Community Services Programme DCC Derry City Council DECLG Department of Environment, Community and Local Government DEFRA Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (United Kingdom) DEHLG Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government DOENI Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland EBM East Belfast Mission EDI Employment, Development and Information Centre EEE Electronic and Electrical Equipment EPA Environmental Protection Agency ERP European Recycling Platform EU European Union EUR/ Euro: Official Currency of the Eurozone FCC Fingal County Council FRO Furniture Reuse Organisation ft Feet HH Household HWRC Household Waste Recycling Centre ICS Irish Cancer Society ICSA Irish Charity Shop Association IPPC Integrated Pollution Prevention Control IT Information Technology LA Local Authority LAPN Local Authority Prevention Network LBC Limavady Borough Council LCDI Limavady Community Development Initiative m 2 MDG Metre Squared Market Development Group viii

11 MOU NDBC NI NIEA NIMDM NSMC NSMDSG NWPP NWR PA PAS POP REACH ROI RREUSE RSS SDCC SI SLA SMILE SQ SQM STRIVE t TFS tpa TV UK UL VFM WCC WDF WFD WEEE WRAP NI All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Memorandum of Understanding North Down Borough Council Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Environment Agency The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure North South Ministerial Council North South Market Development Steering Group National Waste Prevention Programme National Waste Report Per Annum Publically Available Specification Persistent Organic Pollutant Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Republic of Ireland Reuse and Recycling Social Enterprises in the European Union Rural Social Scheme South Dublin County Council Statutory Instrument Service Level Agreement Saving Money through Industry Links and Exchanges Square Square Metre Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment Tonnes Transfrontier Shipment Tonnes Per Annum Television United Kingdom University of Limerick Value for Money Wicklow County Council Waste Data Flow Waste Framework Directive Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Waste & Resources Action Programme Northern Ireland ix

12 GLOSSARY All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Bring Bank Receptacle A receptacle for the acceptance of materials at a bring site or CA/RC, usually an enclosed container with an opening to deposit materials. They are most often used for the acceptance of textiles and glass. Bulky Waste The definition of bulky waste as per The Controlled Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 Regulation 5 and Schedule 2 is: any article of waste that exceeds 25 kilograms in weight or any article of waste which does not fit, or cannot be fitted into (a) the receptacle for household waste provided in accordance with Article 21 of the Order; or (b) where no such receptacle is provided, a cylindrical container 750 millimetres in diameter and 1 metre in length. CA/RC or HWRC (referred to as a Civic Amenity/Recycling Centre in the Republic of Ireland and as a Household Waste Recycling Centre in Northern Ireland) A reception facility provided at a central location to enable householders to directly deposit recyclable and non-recyclable materials, bulky household wastes and certain categories of household hazardous waste. Community and Social Enterprise Sector (C&SES) Community based groups involved in reduce, reuse and recycle projects. This sector is not for profit and supports social enterprise. Mixed Bulky Waste Mixed bulky waste is where bulky waste items are collected together in a unit such as a bin or skip rather than in separate fractions. A mixed bulky waste collection could consist of furniture, bicycles, bathroom fittings etc. WEEE is excluded from mixed bulky waste collections. Preparing for Reuse Preparing for reuse means checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or components of products that have become waste are prepared so that they will be reused without any other pre-processing. Recovery Recovery means any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that function, in the plant or in the wider economy. Annex II of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC sets out a non-exhaustive list of recovery operations. Reuse Reuse means any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they are conceived. Reuse Sector In the context of this report, the reuse sector includes the C&SES, charity shops and commercial reuse organisations. Waste Waste means any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard. x

13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The Market Development Group (MDG) was initiated by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) in July The DEHLG has since changed name to the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG). It is tasked with developing markets for recyclables in the Republic of Ireland in line with a commitment contained in the government policy statement, Delivering Change (2002). The MDG is a cross-sectoral group, with representatives from a range of major stakeholder organisations across the public and private sectors. The primary focus of the MDG is paper, plastics and organics, although there is scope for initiatives in respect of recycled materials derived from other waste streams. The implementation team now known as rx3 was appointed in late 2008 to implement this programme. rx3 is tasked with managing the key objectives and deliverables of the programme. The team liaises with the DECLG, the MDG and stakeholders. The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) is a group of representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government who develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the Administrations, North and South. Waste Management in a cross border context is an area of interest of the NSMC Environment group. The North South Market Development Steering Group (NSMDSG) is tasked, with the approval of the NSMC, to drive forward a market development programme for recyclable material. The NSMDSG includes representatives from the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DOENI), Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), rx3, Waste & Resources Action Programme Northern Ireland (WRAP NI) and an independent Chair; with a consultative role for the business and the non-governmental sectors. A best practice management strategy for bulky waste reuse was identified by the group as an area for investigation. Bulky waste is considered as municipal items that are too large to fit in the regular waste collection unit. Typical bulky waste items are: furniture, certain categories of WEEE, mattresses, carpets, plumbing fixtures (bathtubs, toilets, sinks), bicycles, garden furniture etc. The objective of the study was to understand if an all island approach to the management of bulky waste reuse is feasible. The project aimed to: Investigate current bulky waste management practices Examine the opportunity to increase reuse of bulky waste items delivered to Public Civic Amenity (CA)/Recycling Centre (RC) sites on the island of Ireland Review the viability of diverting reusable items from CA/RC sites to a network of reuse organisations (RO) within the island of Ireland Recent revisions to key pieces of EU legislation specifically the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) (WFD) and the Recast WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU) have placed reuse on a firm legal footing and make provisions to encourage and support the establishment of reuse and repair networks; and to optimise the collection, transport, separation and access to WEEE in order to meet new preparing for reuse and recycling targets by Other drivers behind the study were the environmental, economic and social/community benefits that are derived from reuse activity. The study was carried out by: desktop review of reuse on the island of Ireland and the UK (WRAP Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review), survey of CA/RC s and reuse organisations in the Republic of xi

14 Ireland (ROI), stakeholder workshops, review of relevant legislation, pilot study, case studies, financial assessment of the costs and benefits of segregating items for reuse and recommendations regarding a bulky waste reuse initiative. The main items for consideration in the study were: furniture, large EEE (such as washing machines and fridges) and other EEE, bicycles, textiles (clothing), books and toys/games. Although textiles (clothing), books and toys/games are not bulky in nature they were included in the scope as they are items in high demand for resale from organisations involved in reuse. A review of the legal framework in terms of bulky waste reuse indicated that Reuse means any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived (Article 3 WFD). Therefore reuse is considered prevention and is not subject to waste legislative requirements. However Preparing for reuse means checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or components of products that have become waste are prepared so that they can be reused without any other pre-processing (Article 3 WFD). Therefore preparing for reuse is considered a waste activity and comes under the waste legislative system where the relevant authorisations are required. A detailed review of the waste legislative requirements is provided in Section 7. Import and/or export of waste to or from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are subject to the provisions of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations. Authorisation is required to ship green list or amber list wastes. TFS may pose cost and administration issues for smaller reuse organisations engaged in preparing for reuse who are considering cross border activity. Reuse items not requiring repair through a waste-related operation would be considered a product and therefore not subject to TFS regulations. Therefore direct reuse activity may be of greater interest to organisations looking to cross border reuse initiatives. There are special requirements regarding TFS of WEEE on the island of Ireland. In ROI if WEEE is to be shipped for recovery, some pre-treatment may be required and if EEE (not waste) is to be shipped for reuse that proof of working order is required for every item in the shipment. In NI there must be evidence that items sent abroad will be reused, repaired or refurbed. A survey of 108 CA/RC sites in ROI was carried out to understand bulky waste activity in the Republic of Ireland, reuse awareness and initiatives, and the scope to increase reuse at CA/RCs. Information for Northern Ireland was based on The Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review (published in 2010). The ROI survey elicited a 60% response rate, with 64 CA/RC sites responding. The key survey findings were: The main bulky waste items collected by CA/RCs were WEEE, bicycles, hard furniture and soft furniture. The collection and storage method is critical to the end use potential of an item. When items are placed in mixed skips or outdoors the reuse and recycling potential is diminished. Separate storage under cover is optimal for reuse of bulky items. Currently the majority of furniture items are stored in mixed bulky containers and the potential for reuse of items is lost. A change of collection and storage method would yield greater reuse possibilities for bulky items. The majority of bulky waste from CA/RCs is currently sent for recycling/recovery or disposal. xii

15 It was noted that ownership of CA/RC site and/or collection contract may preclude items being set aside for reuse and can pose contractual issues, such as with the introduction of new materials i.e. bulky waste; and possibly changing from a recycling outlet to reuse organisation. The respondents were asked for their opinion of potential reuse options and if they considered there was potential for reuse at their CA/RC, Figure A shows the responses. If respondents regarded that there was no potential for reuse, they were asked to comment. The majority of respondents indicated collection on-site for off-site distribution to reuse organisations as their preferred option. Others indicated an on-site reuse activity. A large number of respondents indicated they did not foresee reuse happening at their site. The main reasons for not considering reuse were lack of staff, space and illegal waste activities. It is interesting that in the NI survey of 2009/2010 some councils indicated they were not interested in reuse for various reasons but have since overcome those barriers and have implemented reuse initiatives at their CA/RC sites. Figure A: Opinions of Reuse at CA/RCs in ROI Not at all 41% Storage only and off-site distribution 48% On-site sales, swaps or donations 5% Other 6% Where respondents did not accept bulky waste the main reasons cited were lack of space followed by cost of management of the waste stream. Survey respondents showed considerable interest in reuse initiatives with over 50% of respondents interested in the pilot/demonstration trial but only half met the indoor storage criteria. The majority of CA/RCs would need indoor storage space, e.g. shipping container 14 m 2 or 28 m 2 in size and loading access to facilitate reuse of bulky items on-site. Of the respondent CA/RCs 10% reported reuse initiatives at their facilities. None of these CA/RCs were sending bulky waste or WEEE for reuse at the time of the survey, apart from one site that reported sending bicycles for reuse. xiii

16 An estimate of bulky waste arisings was carried out in order to determine the feasibility of reuse on the island of Ireland. In NI each household takes approximately 64 kg of bulky waste to CA/RCs per annum. In ROI an average of 32 kg/hh/pa of bulky waste, including WEEE, is taken to CA/RCs. The difference between the NI and ROI figures is likely to be a result of the different waste collection methods (and charges levied) in the two jurisdictions. Much bulky waste in ROI is collected in mixed skips from households by private waste collectors. Data on the quantity of this waste is not available. Approximately half of all WEEE collected in the Republic of Ireland is done through the retailer takeback. WEEE collected through retailer takeback is not included in the figures in Table A. The estimated breakdown of bulky waste at CA/RCs on the island of Ireland is in the table below. Table A: Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs on the island of Ireland Bulky Waste Category Estimated Weight of Material (tonnes) Estimated No. of Items Total bulky waste (non WEEE) 67,687 WEEE 25, ,882 Furniture 31, ,533 Textiles 15, ,676 Fixtures and Fittings 10, ,650 Garden and Outdoor 5, ,306 Mixed 5, ,615 93,081 3,844,663 A 2012 WRAP bulky waste composition project assessed the reusability of all bulky waste items at CA/RCs. The data shows that an average of 32% of items collected at CA/RCs are in a reusable condition which suggests that in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland there are a sufficient number of good quality items available for reuse organisations to collect and reuse. Based on the estimates the all island potential reusable bulky waste is just less than 30,000 tonnes and equates to over 1.2 million items. The sales value of these potentially reusable items is estimated to be 60 million/ 48 million per annum. In addition there is other direct and indirect value to be gained through employment and social employment, and community and environment benefits. There are approximately 8 community and social enterprise sector (C&SES) reuse organisations in ROI and more than 200 charity shops. Of these 8 accept and sell furniture and or electrical items. There are approximately 5 C&SES reuse organisations in NI and more than 150 charity shops, of which 5 accept bulky waste for reuse. Based on the previous NI survey and this study it was found that the majority of C&SES organisations are clustered in major cities but there is a better geographical spread of charity shops. All the reuse organisations are interested in working with CA/RC sites and believe that partnering with CA/RCs is a good way to increase reuse. xiv

17 The reuse organisations have the capacity and demand to accept more items, to provide training to CA/RC staff, most are willing to collect items from the CA/RCs, and willing to pay for transport/collection. However, they would want to cherry pick items to ensure that they select quality items for resale and/or refurbishment. It was indicated that usually greater than 90% of items collected are reused. All of the reuse organisations are aware of the need to run the organisation professionally along business lines. Large reuse organisations tend to be located in larger cities such as Belfast and Dublin. It is considered that expansion of the larger well established organisations rather than the emergence of new organisations will result in greater levels of reuse in the short term as they are providing an established base from which to grow. For rural locations online sales is considered the best option for reuse targets. It was also indicated by many of the reuse organisations that they would be interested in the availability of items that are directly reusable in their current condition. Whilst there is evidence to suggest that there are different types of second-hand shoppers such as traditional, thrifty, bargain hunters, green, vintage or fashionable; reuse organisations still tend to have a higher proportion of customers from low income backgrounds. The study found that there is demand for reusable and in particular reusable low cost goods. It is generally found that reuse organisations locate in areas where there is a market demand for the low cost goods they produce and where employment and rehabilitation opportunities are created in the local community helping people break the poverty cycle and provide a better life for themselves. The options for reuse at CA/RCs vary depending on the site layout and location and the potential for a reuse organisation to be involved. In the study 5 options for reuse were reviewed, and 2 were considered the most likely to be implemented. The preferred reuse option: where items for reuse are segregated by CA/RC staff and collected by a third party reuse specialist for sale off-site. This option is considered low cost and least effort, a shipping container, marketing and communication, and education and awareness could be acquired for 2,250/ 1,800. This is also the most common method of CA/RC reuse observed in NI and ROI to date. The demonstration study showed that the preferred option was easily implemented. The other option where items are segregated and sold on-site by a site operator is a much more complex and capital intensive selection, with capital cost in the region of 75K/ 60K; and 105K/ 84Koperating cost. In the case where a reuse initiative is not feasible at a CA/RC, a local authority can opt for a comprehensive reuse communications initiative. This could be as simple as listing different reuse organisations, charity shops, websites, regular car boot sales and encouraging people to consider reuse rather than recycling or disposing of an item. It is important that certain practical and operational arrangements are in place for any reuse system to be successful at a CA/RC. Some key considerations are outlined as follows. xv

18 Consideration Clear information at the site Suitable facility for donation point (clean and dry) Ease of use Co-ordination with CA/RC site staff sufficient and well informed site staff Supervision of the reuse area Identification of markets for items for re-sale Contract arrangements Materials targeted Health and Safety Trading standards Careful handling of items Management and monitoring Clear point of contact within each partner organisation Marketing approach Input Signage Shipping container, shed or building Signage/education off-site e.g. online Training of staff Additional staff? Training of existing staff Training of staff Agreed with partners Discussion with third sector partner (if involved) Agreed with contractor. Training if needed Researched, additional training if needed Training of staff Staff time Identify specific individuals Develop a marketing strategy and plan Selecting the right reuse organisation is critical to the success of the reuse programme, as is selecting the right target material to ensure there is consistent market demand. Ensuring waste authorisations for the CA/RC and RO, and formal written agreements/contracts are in place is vital. A suitably labelled, clean, dry, covered, separate area for the reuse items is necessary to ensure the items do not receive damage. Training for staff is also important so they identity quality items and manage careful handling of items to prevent damage. Marketing and communications is also valuable to ensure the sustained interest in the reuse programme. A demonstration study was carried out between Fingal County Council and the Rediscovery Centre on a bicycle reuse initiative. The initiative was carried out in line with the preferred reuse option where items are segregated for reuse by CA/RC site staff and collected by a third party reuse specialist for sale off-site. The initiative was implemented at low cost and was successful as the relevant systems, paperwork, communications and training were put in place before the scheme commenced. The bicycle reuse scheme is now in full time operation, on average ten to fifteen bikes are collected for reuse per month. A further 6 case studies of reuse activity at CA/RC sites on the island of Ireland were developed to assist the feasibility assessment and provide interesting insights and learnings with regard to establishing a reuse initiative on a CA/RC site. An all-island reuse initiative between CA/RCs and reuse organisations is feasible, however it is recommended it would need: 1. A Reuse Protocol The study highlighted that there is a requirement for a regulatory or policy driver for a reuse initiative. It is therefore recommended that a reuse protocol be developed to assist in particular CA/RC owners and operators but also the reuse organisations. This would establish a framework of rules and should be developed in cooperation with both sectors, using their experience and provide the sectors with a simple list of steps to assist in setting up a reuse initiative. It should also include information for local authorities who are not in a position to implement their own reuse initiative but who wish to inform the public about other local initiatives. xvi

19 The protocol should include input from the EPA, NIEA, DECLG, DOENI and WRAP NI to provide clarity on the impact of a reuse initiative at a CA/RC in terms of authorisations to operational and logistical arrangements etc. The findings of the survey in the Republic of Ireland suggest that CA/RC operators are not always clear on whether reuse is permitted or not at their CA/RC. Guidance from the competent authorities would also be useful on the areas of a formal recording system for reuse data and a national system for measuring reuse It would be beneficial to develop a baseline protocol for reuse which would address the core topics relevant to establishing a reuse initiative. It is recommended that a reuse certification system and quality mark and/or reuse logo should be developed as part of the protocol and framework to allow reuse organisations show that their products meet high quality standards. This will also help to drive the reuse market and instil public confidence in reused goods. 2. Reuse Training/Information Session It is recommended that the demand for a training course/information session for local authorities and reuse organisations on the island of Ireland be assessed. A course could act to strengthen the information in the reuse protocol and give both local authorities and reuse organisations on both sides of the border the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and develop relationships. 3. Legislative Change It is recommended that there is clarification for the owners and operators of CA/RCs in both jurisdictions on the impact of reuse and preparing for reuse activities on each of the different types of facility authorisation. It is further recommended that the requirement for reuse organisations that are preparing items for reuse to be authorised be clarified and that consideration be given to the introduction of minimum thresholds in order to exempt reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland from requiring a Waste Facility Permit in order to prepare bulky waste for reuse, if the nature and scale of the activity is such that it does not pose a risk to the environment. In terms of the reuse of WEEE in the Republic of Ireland, it is recommended that the regulations be amended to make WEEE available to reuse organisations. The WEEE reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland are also in favour of an Irish accreditation standard for WEEE reuse items. These recommendations could be addressed by the new WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU), which inter alia, sets out new provisions to facilitate the access for personnel from reuse centres to WEEE collection points. Furthermore, a new National Waste Policy was published by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government in August 2012 including proposals for National Reuse Policy for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. 4. Funding Support for reuse activity is of great value not only owing to the environmental benefits but also to the wider economic and social benefits. By engaging in reuse a local authority can support the C&SES to provide a range of valuable services and much needed support. It is recommended that existing funding is maintained and additional funding is made available to support CA/RCs and reuse organisations that partner together for reuse initiatives. In the future Government funding could help more local authorities secure reuse partnerships. Local authority funding could also be made available through a wider number of government departments rather than just waste related departments. It is recommended that Waste Department officers liaise xvii

20 with interdepartmental colleagues to identify where funding could be pooled in order to support initiatives that have mutual cross-departmental benefits. The study has found that there is opportunity to increase the reuse of bulky waste items delivered to CA/RCs on the island of Ireland. This is based on interest from CA/RC s and demand from reuse organisations. The most common and popular option to implement reuse on a CA/RC site is to accept on-site and divert to a reuse organisation. Established reuse criterion are critical to successful implementation of a reuse programme. Reuse may represent 1-2% of throughput activity on a CA/RC site but it brings wider benefits such as environmental, economic and social and community benefits. xviii

21 1 BACKGROUND All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The Market Development Group (MDG) was initiated by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) in July The DEHLG has since changed name to the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG). It is tasked with developing markets for recyclables in the Republic of Ireland in line with a commitment contained in the government policy statement, Delivering Change (2002). The MDG is a cross-sectoral group, with representatives from a range of major stakeholder organisations across the public and private sectors. The primary focus of the MDG is paper, plastics and organics, although there is scope for initiatives in respect of recycled materials derived from other waste streams. The implementation team now known as rx3 was appointed in late 2008 to implement this programme. rx3 is tasked with managing the key objectives and deliverables of the programme. The team liaises with the DECLG, the MDG and stakeholders. The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) was established under the terms of the Belfast Agreement of Good Friday The NSMC brings together representatives of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the Administrations, North and South. The Good Friday Agreement set out matters for North-South co-operation and implementation. The aspects of the environment initially agreed for consideration by the NSMC meeting in the Environment Sector format included water quality management, waste management in a cross-border context, environmental research and awareness, and identification of strategies and activities that would contribute to a coherent all-island approach to the achievement of sustainable development. The North South Market Development Steering Group (NSMDSG) was established in 2002 with the approval of the NSMC to drive forward a market development programme for recyclable material. The NSMDSG includes representatives from the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DOENI), Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), rx3, Waste & Resources Action Programme Northern Ireland (WRAP NI) and an independent Chair; with a consultative role for the business and the non-governmental sectors. The NSMDSG provides a framework for cross border initiatives to recognise the benefits from such co-operation such as proximity of markets; economies of scale; and mutual benefit from collaborative approach on market research and feasibility studies. The current Terms of Reference for the Group are: Review of previous undertakings, including all-island Paper Mill Study; Identifying areas of mutual concern exploring market development opportunities for target priority waste streams such as: - Organics; - Food waste (as a source segregated stream and not derived as a residual organic following mechanical biological treatment (MBT) processing); - Domestic waste plastics (excl. bottles); - Construction and demolition waste e.g. plasterboard; and - Other waste streams that may be considered appropriate. Develop proposals for a joint market development action programme; and Scope to co-operate on common goals in areas of education, awareness and training. 1

22 During the NSMC Environment meeting on 5 March 2010, Ministers agreed to a short to medium work programme being taking forward by the NSMDSG in the areas of: Quality Protocols; Bulky waste; Case studies on recycling best practice; All island plastics recycling survey. A best practice management strategy for bulky waste reuse has been identified by the group as an area for investigation. The study is part-funded by the DOENI and the DECLG. In September 2011, rx3 released a call for tenders for the All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study. 2

23 2 INTRODUCTION All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study This section summarises the aims and objectives of the project and introduces the project methodology. There is no legal definition of bulky waste in the Republic of Ireland. The definition of bulky waste as per The Controlled Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 Regulation 5 and Schedule 2 is: any article of waste that exceeds 25 kilograms in weight or any article of waste which does not fit, or cannot be fitted into (a) the receptacle for household waste provided in accordance with Article 21 of the Order; or (b) where no such receptacle is provided, a cylindrical container 750 millimetres in diameter and 1 metre in length. The project brief described bulky waste as municipal items that are too large to fit in the regular waste collection unit. Bulky waste items include furniture, certain categories of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), mattresses, carpets, plumbing fixtures (bathtubs, toilets, sinks), bicycles, garden furniture etc. The brief also included the above definition as per the Northern Ireland Regulations. Reuse of products is a form of waste prevention which is at the pinnacle of the waste hierarchy. The next in priority is preparing for reuse, where products for which an owner has no further use are prepared for reuse by a new owner. The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) (WFD) defines reuse and preparing for reuse, and these definitions are discussed in Section Under the WFD, reuse is not a waste activity as the material has not become a waste, but preparing for reuse is a waste activity and the material in question has become a waste. The DECLG published the latest waste management policy document in July 2012 called A Resource Opportunity Waste Management Policy in Ireland. A reuse initiative between CA/RCs and reuse organisations is in line with the following policy measures within that document: The areas of reuse and opportunities for preparation for reuse will be encouraged and promoted through the renewed National Waste Prevention Programme, the environmental awareness work of local authorities, the Producer Responsibility Initiative compliance schemes and the enterprise support agencies. This will build on existing examples of reuse websites such as SMILE and Freetrade Ireland, which facilitate the reuse of unwanted goods between businesses and between members of the public. A Public Sector Reuse Policy will be developed in consultation with the National Procurement Service and other relevant bodies, to ensure that public sector organisations give full consideration to feasible reuse options before embarking on the purchase of new goods. In addition the public sector has a role to demonstrate a commitment to reuse. The issue of public confidence in reuse products must be overcome, as there are considerable opportunities for the creation of jobs and businesses which prepare goods for reuse and for the social enterprise sector. Local authorities will be required to prioritise waste prevention both in the development of new regional waste management plans and in the implementation of measures with local business and community groups. The Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 transpose the revised Waste Framework Directive for Northern Ireland. These regulations introduce a duty on waste operators to comply with the waste hierarchy since October 2011 meaning a business or organisation (including district councils on behalf of householders) that produces or handles waste must take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to: Prevent waste, and; Apply the waste hierarchy when transferring waste. 3

24 The DOENI has published a waste management duty of care code of practice guidance document to assist businesses and other organisations in Northern Ireland with their duty of care. a The guidance considers the environmental impacts of various waste management options for a range of materials. The Recast of the WEEE Directive, Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), was published on the 24 th July EU Member States must transpose the Recast WEEE Directive by 14 th February The purpose of the Directive is to contribute to sustainable production and consumption by, as a first priority, the prevention of WEEE and, in addition, by the reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery. It states that where appropriate, priority should be given to preparing for reuse of WEEE and its components, sub-assemblies and consumables. The Directive states in order to maximise preparing for reuse, Member States shall promote that, prior to any further transfer, collection schemes or facilities provide, where appropriate, for the separation at the collection points of WEEE that is to be prepared for reuse from other separately collected WEEE, in particular by granting access for personnel from reuse centres. This provision will allow greater access to reuse organisations to higher quality WEEE for refurbishment and resale. b The Directive also requires that Member States shall ensure that users of EEE in private households are given information such as their role in contributing to reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of WEEE. Minimum targets for recovery, recycling and reuse of WEEE are included in the Directive. These targets are applicable from 15 August 2015, with higher targets post The targets as applicable to the reuse of WEEE are included in Appendix C. One of the policy objectives of the new waste management policy document for the Republic of Ireland is that the Producer Responsibility Initiative review will examine the issue of a Reuse Policy for Electrical and Electronic Equipment. 2.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of the study was to carry out a feasibility study, followed by a pilot demonstration scheme, to establish whether an all island approach to bulky waste management and increased reuse opportunities of bulky waste from civic amenity (CA)/recycling centre (RC) sites is feasible. The objective of the project was to evaluate the feasibility of: Developing covered, branded drop off points at CA/RC sites for the reuse of bulky items; Involving reuse organisations in the regular servicing of these reuse points at CA/RCs; and Improving the sales of (refurbished) reused items. The work involved a literature review, a survey of CA/RCs and reuse organisations, feasibility study based on the research, and review of case studies resulting in recommendations for an all island approach to bulky waste reuse. a b Article 6(2) states that: Member States shall ensure that the collection and transport of separately collected WEEE is carried out in a way which allows optimal conditions for preparing for re-use, recycling and the confinement of hazardous substances. In order to maximise preparing for re-use, Member States shall promote that, prior to any further transfer, collection schemes or facilities provide, where appropriate, for the separation at the collection points of WEEE that is to be prepared for re-use from other separately collected WEEE, in particular by granting access for personnel from re-use centres. 4

25 The target items examined in the study were: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Furniture Large EEE (e.g. fridges, washing machines) and other EEE Textiles Books, toys/games, bicycles Although some of the target items listed, such as textiles (clothing), books and toys, are not bulky in nature it was considered useful to capture information on these items as many of these items are in high demand by reuse organisations for re-sale. 2.2 PROJECT METHODOLOGY The project was divided into a number of tasks which are summarised as follows: A desktop review of reuse on the island of Ireland and the UK was carried out. Two surveys were conducted, one of the CA/RC sector and the other of the reuse sector in the Republic of Ireland. These surveys sought data on current bulky waste collection and reuse, along with opinions on potential reuse initiatives. (This task was completed in 2009 for Northern Ireland.) A stakeholder engagement meeting was held to hear the views of stakeholders. An assessment of reuse activities and potential demand was carried out. A review of relevant legislation was conducted. The original scope of the project planned to carry out two reuse pilot/demonstration studies during the summer of A single demonstration study was conducted during the timeframe of the project. With the reduced number of pilot/demonstration schemes, case studies of other similar reuse initiatives were developed to assist the feasibility assessment and provide interesting insights and learnings. This report includes a review of the findings of the case studies and a financial assessment of the costs and benefits of segregating items for reuse and recommendations regarding a bulky waste reuse initiative. 5

26 3 CIVIC AMENITY/RECYCLING CENTRES SURVEY There are approximately 108 CA/RC c s in the Republic of Ireland and 85 CA/RCs in Northern Ireland. An electronic survey was designed to understand bulky waste activity in the Republic of Ireland, reuse awareness and initiatives, and the scope to increase reuse at CA/RCs. Information for Northern Ireland was based on the The Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review (published in 2010). 3.1 RESULTS OF THE CA/RC SURVEY (REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ONLY) The survey was sent to each of the 108 CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland. The response rate was 60% (64 sites). In following up on non-respondents, CA/RCs that had been identified in the National Waste Report (NWR) as accepting bulky wastes were prioritised. A response was obtained from 23 of the 28 CA/RCs listed in the NWR as accepting bulky waste, an 82% response rate. The survey data was collected in respect of The key findings of the survey are: There is considerable interest in reuse initiatives. More than half of respondents were interested in partaking in a trial. The majority of CA/RCs would need indoor storage space, e.g. a shipping container. The majority of bulky waste from CA/RCs is currently sent for recycling/recovery or disposal. Seven respondents (CA/RCs) reported reuse initiatives at their facilities. One other site (nonrespondent) is understood to be partaking in reuse. The following sections are a summary of the results obtained from the CA/RC survey Ownership and Management of CA/RCs Based on information gathered before the survey it is believed that out of 108 operational sites in the Republic of Ireland, 15 are owned and operated by the private sector, with the remaining 93 owned by local authorities. It is estimated that approximately 27 are tendered out for operation to contractors. This is shown in Figure 3.1. c 113 CA/RC s in

27 Figure 3.1: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Estimated Ownership and Management of all CA/RCs in ROI Privately owned and operated 14% LA owned and tendered 25% LA owned and operated 61% The results from the survey in Table 3.1 indicate that the majority of CA/RCs are owned and operated by local authorities. Of the 64 respondents, 7 were from privately owned and managed sites. Of the 56 CA/RCs sites under local authority ownership 17 are tendered out for operation by a contractor. This is broadly in line with the national picture. Table 3.1: Ownership and Management of CA/RCs in ROI Ownership and Management Status No. of CA/RCs % of Survey Respondents Privately owned and managed % Local authority ownership % No information given 1 1.6% Total % Local Authority owned of which: operated by local authority 39 70% operated by contractor on behalf of local authority 17 30% Total % Contract durations: 1 year or less 7 41% 2-3 years 6 35% 3-5 years 3 18% Don't know 1 6% Total % 7

28 3.1.2 Tonnage Collected All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The survey examined the weight of bulky waste materials, WEEE, textiles, books, toys and bicycles collected at each CA/RC in Based on the response received, 18,327 tonnes of bulky waste, WEEE and textiles were collected in This tonnage is representative of 70% of respondents (45 CA/RCs) who answered the question. The remaining 30% of respondents (19 CA/RCs) did not report the tonnages that they accepted at the CA/RC in The breakdown of materials reported as collected in 2011 was: 11,600 tonnes of bulky waste 6,040 tonnes of WEEE d 687 tonnes of textiles The 2011 NWR 2 has been published by the EPA since the survey work has been completed on the study. The NWR shows that 14,362 tonnes of household bulky waste and 15,860 tonnes of household WEEE were collected at civic amenity/recycling centre sites in These tonnes represent 21% of the total household waste collected at CA/RC sites in It is important to note that 19 of the 34 Local Authority areas reported the collection of bulky waste at their CA/RC sites Materials Accepted at CA/RCs The survey asked which of the 12 materials, listed in Table 3.2, were being accepted at each CA/RC. Unpublished data received from the EPA showed that 38 CA/RCs accepted bulky waste in The survey results indicate that a greater number of CA/RCs are accepting this waste stream, with 43 CA/RCs reporting collection of mixed bulky waste. CA/RCs also accept metal and timber in separate receptacles in some instances. In the context of the CA/RC survey and this section of the report the term textiles relates to clothing and soft furniture refers to other textile/fabric containing items. Table 3.2 shows the number of sites that accept materials of relevance to this study. The reason for the high percentages of respondents reporting collection of bulky waste may be due to the fact that those who do not collect it did not answer the survey because they felt it was not applicable to them. d This includes all types of WEEE rather than bulky WEEE only 8

29 Table 3.2: Materials Collected at CA/RCs in ROI All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Materials No. of CA/RCs Accepting Materials % of Survey Respondents Mixed Bulky % Hard Furniture % Soft Furniture % Bicycles % Small Domestic Appliances % Large Domestic Appliances % Fridge/Freezers % CRT, TVs, Monitors % Mixed WEEE % Textiles % Books % Toys % Materials are accepted in different receptacles at CA/RCs. The on-site storage method impacts on the reuse potential of items. If items are placed in a mixed skip or outdoors, there is a greater chance that the item will be damaged than if stored separately under cover. Figures 3.2 and 3.3 show how materials are currently stored at CA/RCs. The format of the survey split the materials into two groupings based on the nature of how they would be stored and their charging regime. For this reason, there are two graphs showing the storage and charging methods. Figure 3.2 shows how bulky wastes and WEEE are stored and Figure 3.3 shows how textiles, books and toys are stored at CA/RCs. The majority of furniture items are accepted and stored in the mixed bulky waste receptacles. These receptacles are not covered. There are only a handful of sites segregating furniture and storing it separately, albeit outdoors. The majority of WEEE is stored separately from other waste streams and is kept outdoors. Some WEEE is stored separately and indoors. The majority of mixed bulky waste is stored in a mixed bulky waste receptacle, but some sites store it with other general waste. The vast majority of textiles are stored in bring bank receptacles. These are fully enclosed containers. Books are generally accepted in this type of receptacle also, or by other means which are generally indoors. Toys are accepted either in bring bank receptacles or in a separately covered area, in the mixed bulky waste receptacle or by other means, such as in plastic containers. 9

30 Figure 3.2: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Storage Methods for Large Bulky Wastes and WEEE at CA/RCs in ROI 100% 90% 80% 70% % Respondents 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Mixed Bulky Hard Furniture Soft Furniture Bicycles Small Domestic Appliances Large Domestic Appliances Fridge/Freezers CRT, TVs, Monitors Mixed WEEE In the bulky waste receptacle Separately in an uncovered area Other With other general waste Separately in a covered area Do not collect Figure 3.3: Storage Methods for Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI 100% 90% 80% 70% % Respondents 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Textiles Books Toys Collected in BB receptacles or under cover Other Do not collect Note: A BB receptacle refers to bring bank receptacles. 10

31 Charging Mechanism The charging mechanism for bulky waste items including WEEE is shown in Figure 3.4 and for textiles, toys and books is shown in Figure 3.5. There is a charge levied by the majority of sites for the acceptance of bulky wastes excluding WEEE, which is taken free of charge at CA/RCs sites that accept WEEE. The majority of sites accept textiles and books free of charge. Some of the site operators charge a flat fee for entry to the CA/RC and a range of materials can be deposited. This is the context for other in Figure 3.5. Figure 3.4: Charging Mechanisms for Large Bulky Wastes at CA/RCs in ROI 100% % of respondents who collect this material 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Mixed Bulky Hard Furniture Soft Furniture Bicycles Small Domestic Appliances Large Domestic Appliances Fridge/Freezers CRT, TVs, Monitors Mixed WEEE Charged by weight/volume Charged by vehicle Free of charge Other Charged by item 11

32 Figure 3.5: Charging Mechanisms for Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI 100% % of respondents who collect this material 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Textiles Books Toys Charged Free of charge Other Onward Destination of Materials The survey queried whether the materials collected on-site were subsequently transferred off-site for reuse, recycling/recovery or disposal. Figure 3.6 shows the responses in terms of bulky items and WEEE. Figure 3.7 shows the responses for textiles, books and toys. In Figure 3.6, it can be seen that the majority of WEEE is collected by permitted contractors on behalf of the two approved WEEE Compliance Schemes for recycling/recovery. At approximately 55-60% of CA/RCs, that responded to the survey, hard furniture and mixed bulky waste is sent off-site for recycling/recovery and the remainder is sent for disposal. The majority of CA/RCs respondents send soft furniture off-site for disposal. Only one site reported sending bulky items for reuse (bicycles). Figure 3.7 shows that there are greater levels of reuse for textiles and books, with 43% of sites sending textiles for reuse and 33% of sites sending books for reuse. 12

33 Figure 3.6: Onward Destination of Large Bulky Wastes at CA/RCs in ROI 100% % of respondents who collect this material 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Mixed Bulky Hard Furniture Soft Furniture Bicycles Small Domestic Appliances Large Domestic Appliances Fridge/Freezers CRT, TVs, Monitors Mixed WEEE Sent for disposal Sent for recycling/recovery Sent for reuse Figure 3.7: Onward Destination of Books, Toys and Textiles at CA/RCs in ROI 100% % of respondents who collect this material 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Textiles Books Toys Disposal Recycling/Recovery Reuse Figure 3.8 shows that the majority of CA/RCs are contracting a third party to move items off-site on their behalf. According to the respondents, the only items which are being given to charities are textiles and books. 13

34 Figure 3.8: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Responsibility for Moving Materials Off-Site from CA/RCs in ROI 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Bulky Waste Textiles Books Owner Contractor Charity No information given It was found that 32% of CA/RCs collecting hard and soft furniture and mixed bulky waste believe that there are contractual obligations that may prevent items being put aside for reuse. Of those CA/RCs, just over half were owned and operated by the local authority, so it is their collection contract that they believe might present a problem. Of those who believed that the contractual obligations would prevent items being put aside for reuse, only one CA/RC believed that there may be potential to amend the contract, which was in respect of textile collection. It is important that tenders and contracts are carefully worded to ensure there is the option and flexibility to allow for materials to be collected in such a manner to ensure their optimal end use is in line with the principles of the waste hierarchy. A review clause to allow for variations/amendments to the contract is also of value if a CA/RC site has a future interest in developing a reuse activity on-site. In the case of existing contracts there may be the option of mutual agreement of the relevant parties to change/amend the contract, or applying a notice period to change/amend aspects of a contract may also be a possibility Potential for Reuse This section is a summary of survey questions that sought opinion of the potential for reuse and reasons why reuse may not be feasible. The respondents were asked for their opinion of potential reuse options and if they considered there was potential for reuse at their CA/RC. If respondents regarded that there was no potential for reuse, they were asked to comment. Figure 3.9 shows the responses to the question, How would you envisage reuse happening at your site? The majority of sites selected a preference for the option to store material on-site for off-site distribution to reuse organisations. In the cases where a CA/RC believed that there was no potential for reuse at their site, a variety of different reasons were given as shown in Figure

35 Figure 3.9: Opinions of Reuse at CA/RCs in ROI All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Not at all 41% Storage only and off-site distribution 48% On-site sales, swaps or donations 5% Other 6% Figure 3.10: Reasons Against Reuse at CA/RCs in ROI Public liability 4% Security 4% Do not accept the material 4% Lack of space 18% Concern regarding persons/reuse organisations disputes over items 12% Cost 12% Lack of staff 19% Health and safety 12% Illegal waste activities 15% 15

36 Figure 3.11 indicates why some sites are not accepting bulky waste. The main reason stated was lack of space followed by cost of management of the waste stream. Figure 3.11: Reasons Stated for not Accepting Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in ROI Recently started to accept, previously did not have the staff to manage it 5% Insufficient space & not in the contract but could negotiate if public demand 5% Not permitted to accept bulky waste in waste licence 11% Not enough space 48% Too costly 26% Insufficient public demand 5% Reuse Activities and Awareness at CA/RCs A summary of the reuse initiatives currently underway at CA/RCs is shown in this section. According to the survey, there are 7 CA/RCs currently operating a reuse initiative on-site as shown in Table 3.3. None of these CA/RCs were sending bulky waste or WEEE for reuse at the time of the survey. Fingal County Council has since started a bicycle reuse scheme in partnership with the Rediscovery Centre. The project team is also aware that the RC at Powerstown Landfill in Co. Carlow recently starting setting aside bikes for reuse by the Men s Shed in Athy, Co. Kildare. 16

37 Table 3.3: CA/RCs Operating Reuse Initiatives in ROI All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study CA/RC Site Owner Wicklow County Council (WCC) Wicklow County Council Clare County Council Fingal County Council Limerick County Council Wicklow County Council CA/RC (Name) Bray The Murrough Central Waste Management Facility Estuary Recycling Centre Mungret Civic Amenity Centre Arklow and Avoca Details of Reuse Systems in Place The WH5loaves charity runs the shop on-site. The charity provides meals and homes to homeless people. They run the second hand shop which sells textiles, bric-a-brac, books and small items of furniture. There is a notice board at the CA/RC with information on reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. They have a Crystal Springs water dispenser at the CA/RC so people can bring bottles to fill up. There is a reuse book area for people to bring and take books along with a video and CD reuse area. The paint reuse area allows people to donate paint which is left available for others to take. WCC would like to make this more official. There is plenty of space at the CA/RC for more reuse initiatives. There is a plan to take in furniture for reuse for local people or alternatively, to link with a reuse organisation. Bray is mainly indoors but it has some small outdoor area where they get flytipping. The schoolbook exchange in summer is very popular. It is a new site so there are no plans to redevelop, and they have no room for more skips for example. However they do have indoor space and are very open to a furniture restoration initiative on-site. As in Bray there is a shop on-site and a notice board and schoolbook exchange scheme. The shop is run by Oxfam. There is an informal system in place. If customers request individual items, staff will facilitate them. Collection of bric-a-brac for Enable Ireland. Collection of paint and bicycles for reuse by the Rediscovery Centre. There is a paint reuse scheme on-site, which allows users to leave any unused tins of paint, or pick up ones that they might make use of. There is also a community bulletin/swap board available for customers to use, and any items presented for recycling that are considered useful, are segregated and made available to any one that can reuse them. Book reuse, bookshelves in porta-cabins on-site where people can bring in and take books a book swap. Excess books are donated. There is no other space on these sites for other activities. Table 3.4 indicates survey respondents on-site promotion of reuse and awareness of the potential for reuse at their site. Respondents also revealed if they have made contact with reuse organisations and demonstrated their awareness of reuse activity in their locality. Of the sites that had awareness of local reuse activity, the majority had knowledge of 3 or more re-use exchange methods, indicating good awareness by respondents. 17

38 Table 3.4: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study CA/RC Awareness of Reuse Potential and Local Reuse Activity Action No. of CA/RC's % of CA/RC's 25 Sites that are promoting reuse 16 Contact made with reuse 28 organisations 18 Sites with awareness of local: Charity shops nd hand furniture shops Regular car boot sales Web exchanges Free ad newspapers The survey revealed that 16 CA/RCs take part in reuse promotion; details were supplied by 10 of those sites and are listed below. There are jam making sessions at Bray CA/RC to use the jam jars that have been brought to the site. In berry season they leave containers for clean jars and have relationship with jam makers to supply them with jars. They also have leaflets about making jam and recipes and have jam sampling. Bray CA/RC reports that it has been very successful. At each of the other 4 CA/RCs in Wicklow, there are notice boards with information on reuse, local and national initiatives, websites, education and awareness events etc. Dunmore CA/RC in Kilkenny gives tours of the site and raises reuse as a discussion topic. They also promote Freetrade Ireland on their website. Kinsale Road CA/RC in Cork City has signs on-site promoting the Waste Matchers website. Derrinumera CA/RC in Mayo promotes the practice to reduce, reuse, recycle and also takes part in national and local incentive/promotion activities. Estuary CA/RC in Fingal has a leaflet advertising Free Trade Ireland, a poster from Enable Ireland for a bric-a-brac appeal and flyers for the Repaint Scheme. At Macroom CA/RC, staff provides the public with referrals to the Waste Matchers website. At Clonakilty CA/RC, staff provides the public with referrals to charity shops and to the Waste Matchers website CA/RCs Interested in a Pilot Trial The survey queried whether each CA/RC would be interested in taking part in a pilot trial for a reuse initiative. Over half of all survey respondents expressed an interest in taking part in a reuse pilot trial. Of the 64 respondents, 34 expressed an interest in taking part in pilot trials. However when the results of all of those 34 surveys were examined, only 18 could be considered suitable as the remainder stated that they did not have space for a covered receptacle on-site or had no covered areas available. In order to be suitable for reuse, indoor storage is necessary in the case of most items. Table 3.5 lists those CA/RCs. 18

39 Table 3.5: CA/RCs Interested in Taking Part in Pilot Trial in ROI All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study No. of Sites Name of CA/RC Interested in Taking Part in Pilot Trials County Who Currently Runs the CA/RC? Public or Private Site 1 Bray CA/RC Wicklow Owner Public 1 The Murrough CA/RC Wicklow Owner Public 1 Greenstar Fassaroe CA/RC Wicklow Owner Private 6 6 no. CA/RCs in Donegal Donegal Other Public 1 Cashel CA/RC Tipperary Owner Public 1 Clonmel CA/RC Tipperary Owner Public 1 Lisdeen CA/RC Clare Owner Public 1 Dunmore CA/RC Kilkenny Owner Public 1 Central Waste Management Facility (Inagh CA/RC) Clare Owner Public 2 Mohill and Manorhamilton CA/RCs Leitrim Owner Public 3 Ballyconnell/Bailieborough/Corranure CA/RCs Cavan Other Public 1 Ballaghaderreen CA/RC Roscommon Owner Public 1 Ballymount CA/RC Dublin Contractor Public 1 Derrinumera CA/RC Mayo Owner Public 1 Barna Waste, Galway CA/RC Galway Owner Private 1 Millstreet CA/RC Cork Owner Public 1 Estuary CA/RC (Fingal) Dublin Owner Public 1 Navan CA/RC Meath Contractor Public 1 Trim CA/RC Meath Contractor Public 1 Kells CA/RC Meath Contractor Public 1 Clonakilty CA/RC Cork Owner Public 1 Youghal CA/RC Cork Owner Public 1 Kilmallock CA/RC Limerick Contractor Public 1 Mungret CA/RC Limerick Contractor Public 2 Arklow and Avoca CA/RCs Wicklow Owner Public 34 Interested sites 18 Interested and suitable Note: CA/RCs shaded in grey were deemed to be unsuitable (by the project team) for reuse trials due to a lack of space for a covered receptacle on-site or a covered area. (One of the survey questions asked whether there was sufficient space on-site for a covered receptacle or shipping container, or whether there was any available indoor space). 19

40 4 REUSE SECTOR SURVEY All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study There are approximately 8 community and social enterprise sector (C&SES) reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland and more than 200 charity shops. Of these 8 accept and sell furniture and or electrical items. There are approximately 5 C&SES reuse organisations in Northern Ireland and more than 150 charity shops, of which 5 accept bulky waste for reuse. A survey was designed to determine the scope of reuse organisation activity in the Republic of Ireland and the potential for reuse partnerships with CA/RCs. Information for Northern Ireland was based on The Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review (2010). 4.1 REUSE SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Prior to the survey, desktop research was carried out to identify reuse organisations. A total of 19 organisations were contacted, 8 of which are in the C&SES, 1 of which was a commercial organisation, 2 organisations from the Irish Charity Shop Association (ICSA); Oxfam and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) and 8 charity shops that accept and sell furniture and or electronic items. Oxfam and the ICS were selected as they operate the largest number of charity shops within the ICSA membership. e Bryson Recycling, an organisation based in Northern Ireland was included because they also operate in the Republic of Ireland. Responses were received from 12 organisations. Table 4.1 summarises these responses, more detail is available in Appendix A. The key findings are as follows: The majority of the C&SES s are willing to collect items from the CA/RCs and to provide training to staff. All of the reuse organisations have the capacity and demand to accept more items. The majority of C&SES organisations are clustered in Dublin but there is a better geographical spread of charity shops. All of the reuse organisations believe that partnering with CA/RCs is a good way to increase reuse. All are aware of the need to run the organisation professionally along business lines. It is important to note that there is also a range of smaller operators involved in the collection and recycling/reuse of smaller WEEE items which are outside of the scope of this study. Many organisations, like charities such as the Jack and Jill Foundation, collect mobile phones for recycling and reuse. e The St. Vincent de Paul has the largest number of charity shops but they are run on an almost autonomous regional basis with a number of different brands. The Dublin Region shops do not accept furniture or electrical goods. 20

41 Table 4.1: Reuse Organisation Survey Respondents (ROI) Organisation Location Materials Operation Reuse it (Commercial) Cheeverstown (3 charity shops) Rediscovery Centre (C&SES) Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative (CCRI) (C&SES) Irish Cancer Society shop Ennis Busy Bees Furniture recycling (part of Sunflower recycling) (C&SES) Rothar Bikes for Community (C&SES) Irish Cancer Society Cork Dublin Dublin Clondalkin (operates in Dublin and Wicklow) Ennis, County Clare Dublin Dublin 19 shops across the Republic of Ireland WEEE, furniture, small amounts of textiles, books, vintage items, antiques and architectural items. 95% items accepted are reused. Furniture, clothes, shoes, books, CDs, DVDs and gifts. 99% of the items collected for reuse. Suites, hard furniture and office furniture sell best. Furniture, textiles, paint and bikes. Approximately 90% of all goods accepted are reused. Approx 10% of these items are reused directly (with little alteration just item checking and cleaning) and the remaining 80% of goods are refurbished for reuse. WEEE. Furniture, textiles, books, ornaments, bric-a-brac and CDs. Furniture and clothes are best sellers. Collections are subcontracted. Collections are carried out by courier The collection is free for residents, but there is a charge for delivery ( 20). The organisation collects and delivers Mon-Fri using its own van and a member of staff. It is free in the local area. Further out in the city centre or North of the city incurs a charge. Two vehicles carry out door to door collections in conjunction with a local authority. For a one off collection a fee is charged which is assessed on the basis of location and socio economic status. There are 16 paid staff Collections are carried out 3 days a week; 2 day clothes collection and 1 day furniture collection in a transit van. The collection covers part of Limerick and all of Clare and Galway. There are two paid members of staff, a collection driver on a contract and 47 volunteers. Furniture of which 90% is reused. Collection service operates 5 day a week, with 6 vehicles. The public is charged for both collection and delivery. There are 48 members of staff, the majority are paid. Bikes. The majority of the bikes are sold (70%) to individuals however around 10% are donated. 80% of the bikes are reused with the remainder recycled. Textiles, books, furniture, household goods, bric-a-brac % of the goods are reused. Collection is free but only 3 days per month within the greater Dublin area. There are 4 full time staff members, 20 volunteers and 5 work placements. Door to door collections of textiles and furniture in Leinster, Munster and Connaught. The charity employs 50 paid staff and has 545 volunteers. 21

42 Organisation Location Materials Operation Liberties Recycling Training and Development (C&SES) Revamp 3r (C&SES) Bryson Recycling (Arc Direct) Oxfam Dublin Longford Belfast 50 retail outlets, two offices and warehouse on the island of Ireland Textiles, books, WEEE, bric-a-brac and soft toys. Around 65% of the goods are actually reused. They operate nationally contracting collections outside Dublin. In Dublin they use 2 vans and collect 7 days a week. Furniture. The project collects and delivers items free of charge Monday to Friday. They employ 13 staff and have a volunteer board of directors. WEEE % of items collected are reused. Collect from retailers and council recycling centres 5 days per week. Customer deliveries are made 3-5 days per week for delivery charge. There are 16 Furniture, WEEE, textiles, books, bric-a-brac. Around 65% of items are reused. paid staff and 3-4 placements. The collections and deliveries are made 5/6 days a week (from bring banks not the public). They charge for deliveries of furniture. They employ approximately 140 staff and have 1,000 volunteers. 22

43 4.2 REUSE SECTOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study According to the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review published in 2010 and reporting on the 2009 period, there are 4 furniture reuse organisations and 1 WEEE reuse organisation in Northern Ireland. Similar to the Republic of Ireland, they are clustered around the major urban centres, Belfast and Lisburn, and there is poor coverage in more remote areas. Some of the reuse organisations have more than one premises. They were responsible for the reuse of over 1,000 t of furniture and WEEE (79% furniture and 19% WEEE) in 2008/2009. WEEE reuse is facilitated by Bryson Electrical Recycling who also operates in the Republic of Ireland and is a member of CRN. Similar to the reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland it was found that: All of the organisations had capacity and demand for additional items. The material most in demand is furniture. Most have vehicles to collect items. Most of the organisations are self financing. All are aware of the need to run the organisation professionally along business model lines. There were 5 charity shops accepting furniture for reuse, along with lots of shops accepting textiles, books, toys and games. The 5 main reuse organisations in Northern Ireland are summarised below. There are of course other charity shops and commercial second hand retailers, details of which along with supplementary details of the furniture reuse organisations are also included in Appendix A. East Belfast Mission (Re:Store) The East Belfast Mission is a very well established organisation which began as a soup kitchen in the nineteenth century. They opened their first furniture shop in 2005 in pursuit of their more modern vision to renew East Belfast. The charity operates a hostel, a café and other enterprises for the community and has recently been awarded funding to regenerate their Newtownards Road base. The furniture shops business model works very successfully with a good operating profit, and has been rapidly expanded to nine outlets in five areas over the past two years. Furniture is offered free to people in need, who must apply to the East Belfast Mission head office. The organisation is now intending to undergo a phase of consolidation and to maximise activities from their current locations, including provision for benefiting from Gift Aid upon donations and further renovations (in partnership with another charity) in order to reuse more furniture. They have no interest in refurbishing their own white goods as they have an arrangement with Bryson whereby they sell white goods to them on a commission basis. They have an informal arrangement with Larne Borough Council, which puts quality furniture to one side at their CA/RC for twice-weekly collections. In the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review (2010) this organisation was identified as being interested in further exploring mutually beneficial opportunities with other local authorities and as having sufficient premises, human resources and vehicle time to begin expanding activities immediately. Since then they have set up reuse partnerships with Antrim Borough Council and North Down Borough Councils CA/RCs. These partnerships are discussed in more detail in Sections and The Green Shed (Refurnish) The Green Shed is one of a dozen groups that form Limavady Community Development Initiative and acts as its environmental arm. Activities include furniture reuse, recycling of paper, glass and card, as well as operating a garden centre and offering gardening services. It has retail shops in Limavady and Coleraine. Based alongside the local healthcare trust, it provides placements for people with learning disabilities. The Green Shed will supply items free of charge to people in need who have been referred 23

44 to the Green Shed by the charity St. Vincent de Paul. Green Shed s business model successfully operates at a good profit due to high levels of sales, and a grant from the healthcare trust to pay for an employee to work closely with people with disabilities. The local authority also provides financial support in the form of an annual grant. The Green Shed presently makes in excess of 50 collections for Limavady Borough Council and 35 collections for Coleraine Borough Council each week. Voluntary Service Lisburn (The Furniture Reuse Company RECO) Voluntary Service Lisburn began as a volunteer centre in 1981, offering care and training services. The furniture project began in 2005, in order to offer more specific training opportunities. Training and renovations are carried out to an exceptional standard and quality goods are sold in High Street locations in Lisburn and Newtownards, attracting premium prices. The project operates at a profit, with the focus on directing increasing returns to employing volunteers and trainees (25 full-time and 2 parttime employees in autumn 2009). Furniture is offered free of charge or at a significantly reduced price to people in need, mostly through referrals from the Citizens Advice Bureau. The WEEE workshop closed with the termination of DOENI funding in March The group has no plans to seek further funding; but instead would benefit from more workshop space in order to undertake renovations for other charities, and to open more shops. Bryson Recycling Ltd. (Bryson Electrical Recycling) Bryson Electrical Recycling reuses and recycles WEEE only. In 2011, they reused 304 tonnes of WEEE, just over 5,000 units which represents 60-70% of all items accepted. They have one premises in Belfast, called Arc Direct, which is 20,000 sq ft and includes storage, reuse workshop, offices and showroom. The shop is open Monday to Friday; however purchases can also be made online via ebay and Gumtree. The service is run by 16 paid staff and 3-4 placements. Bryson also refurbishes products for other organisations to sell. Bryson supplies East Belfast Mission and Action Cancer with pre-tested product. Bryson collects from retailers and local authority CA/RCs but they do not have the capability to offer a door to door collection to householders. They have a 7.5 tonne vehicle making collections five days per week. Deliveries are made three to five days per week and cost Activity is currently focused on Greater Belfast and mid-ulster but they are hoping to roll-out the collection service to all Northern Ireland local authority areas in future. Bryson has a close relationship with the Northern Ireland WEEE compliance scheme which has the contract to manage all local authority WEEE in Northern Ireland. This means that relationships with local authorities and collections from CA/RCs are developing all the time. The customer base of Bryson has changed over time as the market has become more diverse, where primarily it was households on low-income, now more people are looking for low-cost white goods. Unfortunately Bryson does not have a relationship with the Housing Executive and as such the Housing Executive does not refer customers to Bryson as a source of low-cost appliances. The Housing Executive has contracted house clearances (when local authority properties are empty) to a third party who sell appliances for scrap instead of engaging with a reuse organisation. Bryson has expanded in the past and is interested in rolling out their services to other local authority areas. They are also interested in providing complementary services such as local authority bulky waste collections, particularly as the supply of WEEE can be problematic (understood to be as a result of poor retail sales of new products). Therefore Bryson would consider purchasing graded appliances (i.e. seconds). 24

45 80/20 Recycling All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study 80/20 Recycling was established to address a community need in an area of high deprivation, specifically in order to provide local training/employment; and to divert timber (in particular) from landfill. The organisation also provides alternatives to day care for higher-functioning individuals with a disability. The project has been operational since January 2009 and offers ten training placements to people with physical or learning disabilities or recovering from mental ill health. 80/20 Recycling is struggling to meet demand for quality reusable furniture, which is offered at a discount to people who receive benefits. The group pays for a storage container at Newry & Mourne District Council s CA/RC and has installed a twenty foot container at one other site. 80/20 Recycling is keen to enter partner working arrangements with other local authorities. Other Reuse Organisations Dealing with Bulky Items Details of other reuse organisations were sought from diverse sources including Sustainable Northern Ireland, Business in the Community Northern Ireland (Arena Network), web-based research and consulting reuse organisations that had already been identified. Results were limited, uncovering mostly smaller community-based charities such as Haven Christian Centre in Templepatrick, Parkanaur in Dungannon, The Link in Newtownards and Belfast-based CCV Helps Mission, Cruse, Agape Mission and Quaker Care. Most of these groups operate community-based charity shops and might sell a few small items of furniture from time to time. Haven Christian Centre previously operated as a furniture reuse organisation but found it took the focus away from its primary objective of working with people with addictions; they ceased this aspect of their operations in

46 5 ESTIMATED ARISINGS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study An estimate of likely bulky waste arisings is useful in order to determine the feasibility of reuse. There is no published data on total bulky waste arisings for the Republic of Ireland, nor is there any data on the different bulky waste material fractions. In the absence of published data for the Republic of Ireland, estimates of likely bulky waste arisings were made. The estimates are based on a methodology developed for the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review, which is discussed in Section 5.1. The likely bulky waste arisings for Northern Ireland have been updated for this study. It is important to note that these figures are a best estimate and are not exact. 5.1 NORTHERN IRELAND An estimate of the arisings of bulky items in the CA/RC stream was calculated in the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review. In this study, the legal definition of bulky waste was used, which is referenced in Section 7 of this report. The review estimated that approximately 68,000 tonnes of bulky waste was deposited at CA/RCs in 2007/08. In Northern Ireland, a further 8,900 tonnes are estimated to be collected per annum through the local authority bulky waste collections. Waste Data Flow (WDF) is the UK system of waste data collation. WDF tonnages for CA/RC household residual and recycling/reuse tonnages for Northern Ireland for 2010/11 are summarised in Table 5.1. This table shows any readily identifiable bulky items reported in WDF, as well as showing throughputs and recycling rates. Table 5.1: Summary of CA/RC WDF Tonnages NI 2010/11 Source: Downloaded from WDF Fractions Collected at CA/RCs 2010/11 tpa Bulky WEEE recycling/reuse 9,534 Furniture recycling/reuse 27 Rubble and soil recycling 18,778 Other recycling 111,338 Residual 118,479 Total Throughput 258,156 There are many bulky items delivered to CA/RCs that will not have been recorded separately, and will be included in the other recycling or residual figures. Within the WRAP Reuse potential of household bulky waste research project conducted and published in , national estimates for bulky items delivered to CA/RCs were derived by comparing WDF tonnages for the recycling/reuse of large WEEE items with the fieldwork data obtained during the research. According to WDF (Table 5.1) bulky WEEE items accounted for 9,534 tonnes of recycling/reuse at CA/RCs across Northern Ireland in 2010/11. Since CA/RCs are required not to dispose of any WEEE items, it is assumed that this tonnage accounts for all bulky WEEE items delivered to CA/RCs. The estimates from the 2012 WRAP bulky waste composition project indicate that bulky WEEE accounts for 20.7% of all bulky items delivered to CA/RCs. Figure 5.1 shows the breakdown of bulky waste into its respective categories using estimated weights. WDF figures in Table 5.1 indicate that 9,534 tonnes are bulky WEEE. By applying the estimate that 9,534 tonnes represents 20.7% of all bulky items delivered to CA/RCs, then this gives an estimated total of 46,058 tonnes of all bulky items delivered to CA/RCs. If this is compared to the total throughput for all CA/RCs in Northern Ireland, (258,156 tonnes), this accounts for 17.8% of CA/RC throughputs. 26

47 This is less than the 68,000 tonnes estimated to be collected at CA/RCs in 2007/08 in the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review. The reasons for this difference could be the result of the economic climate and different waste disposal habits of residents in 2007/08 compared to 2010/11. The more recent study included primary data gathering and therefore would suggest the findings are more robust. Both datasets were focused on England rather than Northern Ireland. Based on the estimated bulky waste arisings for Northern Ireland, and an estimated number of households of 715,200 4, each household takes approximately 64 kg of bulky waste to CA/RCs per annum. This is higher than the UK average of 39 kg/hh/pa during 2010/11. Bulky waste can be furniture, large electrical items or a host of other items from the home. Within the WRAP research different items were categorised into different product groups (referred to by WRAP as themes). The figure below shows the breakdown of bulky waste at CA/RCs in the UK based on the estimated weight of those items. These proportions can be applied to the total weight of bulky waste in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, see Tables 5.2 and 5.3. Figure 5.1: Estimated Category Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in the UK 2010/11 Garden/Outdoor 6.0% Mixed 6.0% Fixtures and fittings 12.3% Furniture 36.5% WEEE 20.7% Textiles 18.6% Source: WRAP Within Table 5.2, the 2010/11 annual bulky waste arisings have been broken down into different themes based on the 2012 WRAP compositional estimate. It is worth noting that in this data, mattresses are included in textiles and not furniture. Textiles in this context do not include clothing. 27

48 Table 5.2: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in NI Northern Ireland (NI) % Theme Estimated Weight of Items by Theme (tonnes) Estimated Average Weight per Item (kg) Estimated No. of Items Furniture 36.5% 16, ,356 Textiles 18.6% 8, ,957 WEEE 20.7% 9, ,412 Fixtures and Fittings 12.3% 5, ,768 Garden and Outdoor 6.0% 2, ,225 Mixed 5.9% 2, ,203 Total 100.0% 46,058-1,949, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Waste arisings in the Republic of Ireland are published annually in the National Waste Report (NWR) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The latest available data is in NWR 2011, published in There is no published data on total household bulky waste arisings in the Republic of Ireland. The NWR 2011 states that 14,362 tonnes of bulky waste and 15,860 tonnes of WEEE was collected at CA/RCs. Additionally 8,984 tonnes of wood and 7,817 tonnes of metal were recorded in the NWR as collected at CA/RCs. As not all sites segregate bulky items, it is likely that items such as a wooden chair or metal bicycle will be disposed of within the material stream skips. The sum of bulky waste, wood waste and metal waste (31,163 tonnes) was used as a best estimate of bulky waste excluding WEEE. The sum inclusive of WEEE is 47,023 tonnes. An additional 14,399 f tonnes of WEEE was collected through retail outlets, which is not included in the estimates of bulky waste collected at CA/RCs in ROI. With an estimated 1,462,296 households in the Republic of Ireland 5, this means an average of 32 kg/hh/pa of bulky waste, including WEEE, is taken to CA/RCs. This is considerably less than in Northern Ireland but is in line with the UK average. The difference between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland figures is likely to be a result of the different waste collection methods (and charges levied) in the two jurisdictions. Approximately half of all WEEE collected in the Republic of Ireland is done through the retailer takeback. The differences in waste collection methods in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, means that the estimated composition of bulky waste at CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland may be different to Northern Ireland. This may be because local authorities in Northern Ireland provide kerbside collection services for bulky items (sometimes for free); an easier and therefore preferable option than transporting items to a CA/RC. In the Republic of Ireland, if a householder wishes to have bulky waste collected, they have to engage a private waste management contractor to provide a skip service. The household bulky waste collected in skips is then brought directly to waste treatment facilities by the private waste management contractors. This waste is recorded as commercial waste (C&I waste) in the NWR. Breakdowns of such commercial waste into their different constituent bulky waste fractions are neither available nor published. As there is no data available at this level of detail for the Republic of Ireland, the UK breakdown has been applied as shown in Table 5.3. It will be indicative of actual arisings. The data in Table 5.3 does include wood and metal arisings as the UK data is based on all bulky items entering the CA/RC regardless of which skip it was disposed in. Excluding WEEE from the breakdown of bulky waste because this is separately recorded, all other product categories have been proportionally scaled up to f Based on ERP Ireland and WEEE Ireland 2011 Annual Reports 28

49 100%, to estimate the tonnage of each product category collected at CA/RCs. Subsequently, the same average weight per item is applied to estimate the number of items that could be present in bulky waste at CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland. Based on this method, it is estimated that there could be in the region of 1.9 million items of bulky waste or 47,023 tonnes delivered to CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland, including WEEE. This excludes retailer WEEE. Table 5.3: Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in ROI Republic of Ireland (ROI) % Theme Estimated Weight of Items by Theme (tonnes) Estimated Average Weight per Item (kg) Estimated No. of Items WEEE - 15, ,471 Furniture 46.0% 14, ,177 Textiles 23.4% 7, ,720 Fixtures and Fittings 15.5% 4, ,882 Garden and Outdoor 7.6% 2, ,081 Mixed 7.6% 2, ,412 Total 100% 47,023-1,894,742 Figure 5.2 shows the estimated breakdown of different bulky waste items by estimated weight collected at CA/RCs in the UK. This level of detail has not been reproduced for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as there is likely to be considerable variation and there is no primary data on which to base the estimated composition. It may be very different for the Republic of Ireland due to the difference in domestic waste management collections and charging arrangements. However, it is worth noting the items that arise in significant numbers, for example wardrobes, mattresses, carpet and televisions. Whilst second hand markets are not common for all of these items (e.g. carpet), it does illustrate that there are a lot of items that furniture reuse organisations and charity shops would be interested in retailing, if they are of sufficient quality. 29

50 Figure 5.2: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Estimated Breakdown of Bulky Waste at CA/RCs in the UK Source: WRAP Table 5.2 and Table 5.3 show that a large number of items could be collected at CA/RCs annually. However, in order to understand whether there are sufficient good quality items, data that assesses the reusability of items taken to CA/RCs needs to be applied to the tonnage estimates. The WRAP 2012 bulky waste composition project assessed the reusability of all bulky waste items at CA/RCs. This breakdown, as assessed by the surveyor on-site is shown in Figure 5.3. This reusability assessment has been applied to the estimated tonnage throughput at CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as shown in Figure 5.4. The data shows that an average of 32% of items collected at CA/RCs are in a reusable condition which suggests that in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland there are a sufficient number of good quality items available for reuse organisations to collect and reuse. Based on the estimates the all island potential reusable bulky waste is just less than 30,000 tonnes and equates to over 1.2 million items. The sales value of these potentially reusable items is estimated to be 60 million/ 48 million per annum. In addition there is other direct and indirect value to be gained through employment and social employment, and community and environment benefits. 30

51 Figure 5.3: Assessment of Reusability All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Source: WRAP Figure 5.4: Reusability Assessment Applied to Estimated NI and ROI Arisings (items) 250,000 Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland 200, , ,000 50,000 0 Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Major repair needed Currently reusable Slight repair needed Furniture Textiles WEEE Fixtures and Fittings Garden and Outdoor Mixed 31

52 It is important to take account of residents opinions as to what is reusable. Recent work assessing the reuse potential of WEEE 6 revealed that residents are likely to over estimate the quality of their items for disposal, however it is still a useful indicator. Based on data obtained during the WRAP 2012 study (see Figure 5.5), Figure 5.6 shows the reusability estimate of items brought to CA/RCs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland according to resident s opinions. Based on the research, it was estimated that residents believed that an average 35.9% of their items taken to a CA/RCs were reusable. Figure 5.5: Residents Opinion of Reusability Source: WRAP 32

53 Figure 5.6: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Residents Reusability Assessment Applied to Estimated NI and ROI Arisings (items) 300, ,000 Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland 200, , ,000 50,000 0 Don't know No Yes Don't know No Yes Don't know No Yes Don't know No Yes Don't know No Yes Don't know No Yes Furniture Textiles WEEE Fixtures and Fittings Garden and Outdoor Mixed 33

54 6 UNDERSTANDING DEMAND FOR REUSABLE ITEMS 6.1 EXISTING OUTLETS Reuse organisations that offer bulky waste collections will have existing sales outlets for reusable items (e.g. through their shops). The details in Section 4 show there are some very large organisations operating in the reuse arena with charitable and social enterprise aims. Many of these organisations are interested in expanding and working with CA/RCs to increase the volume of material they accept for onward sale. It is likely that the expansion of these well established organisations rather than the emergence of new organisations will result in greater levels of reuse in the short term as they are providing an established base from which to grow. These organisations between them reuse hundreds of tonnes of bulky waste and other items. The majority of operations are in Dublin and Belfast and the surrounding areas, although there are organisations elsewhere on the island of Ireland. Unsurprisingly, and as seen in the UK too, the reuse organisations are focused in areas where there are larger populations. The rural areas are not as well provided for, primarily because the distance between collection and delivery locations is large and therefore fuel costs prohibitively expensive. However, Donegal in particular and other border counties could benefit from the proximity to Northern Ireland and reuse organisations that operate over the border and vice versa. Also, some of the organisations that responded to the reuse sector survey confirmed that they also retail online. This provides an opportunity for rural households to benefit by being able to access low cost goods via the internet rather than a city based shop. However, to capitalise on online sales, charities need to implement a professional operation; photographing items to show them at their best, computer terminal(s) to manage the online aspects of the sale and appropriate packing and postage operations. There are 49 car boot sales listed on carboot.ie, the majority of which are in the Republic of Ireland. There are 170 listed on carbootsrus.com. These websites indicate the popularity of car boot sales on the island. Additionally there are 30 Freecycle groups in the Republic of Ireland, 10 Freecycle g groups and 9 Freegle groups in Northern Ireland. Freetradeireland.ie is another website allowing the public and businesses to pass on unwanted items and the SMILE exchange website allows business users to swap or pass on unwanted goods. All these websites prevent reusable items being disposed of to landfill. There are also commercial second hand retailers and websites where items are exchanged for money, e.g. Donedeal and buyandsell etc. 6.2 CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CAPACITY OF REUSE ORGANISATIONS Table 4.1 in Section 4 shows that all of the organisations active in the Republic of Ireland that responded to the survey would be willing to expand their operations in future and work with local authorities. The responses suggest that they have capacity to expand. Some receive grant funding as a result of training they offer and others are funded through the revenue generated through sales (or a combination of the two). Either way, they would require detailed discussions to ensure that any additional activity they undertake is feasible and may look to CA/RC owners to support operations through any savings made in landfill disposal costs. Most of the organisations do not repair items; therefore immediate expansion of reuse is likely to centre on items that are reusable in their current condition. Some organisations already have relationships with CA/RCs. These relationships can be expanded to include new materials or replicated with other sites. g Freecycle and Freegle are non-profit movements for people who are giving (and getting) items for free in their own towns 34

55 Reuse and the preparing for reuse of (W)EEE is an area where there could be more expansion in the Republic of Ireland. Currently there are only a few players, and electrical items are imported from England to the Republic of Ireland for repair and onward sale due to the difficulty of accessing items for reuse within the country. Other reuse organisations also indicated that whilst they would not be in a position to repair/refurbish the electrical items they would be interested in retailing the refurbished/repaired items if the stock was available. As WEEE is a unique issue, a separate stakeholder meeting was held with representatives of the WEEE industry, see Section 8.2. The Irish Government policy document A Resource Opportunity, published in July 2012, has identified and actioned that the Producer Responsibility Initiative review will examine the issue of a Reuse Policy for Electrical and Electronic Equipment and other Producer Responsibility Initiative sectors and will make recommendations which will inform short-term policy development to support further progress in this area. Not all local authorities are aware of the benefits of working with reuse organisations. WRAP has a training course that is designed for local authority officers to inform them of working with the Community Sector. Details of the course are available on the WRAP website. WRAP NI provides waste prevention guidance to NI local authorities through its local government support programme. WRAP NI also manages the Rethink Waste Capital and Revenue Funds. The Capital Fund is specifically for councils and can provide up to 100% grants for capital towards prevention, reuse and recycling projects. Councils can use the funds to develop partnerships with other organisations to make the projects work, but the council is the funding recipient and would own the capital assets and be responsible for implementation. The Revenue Fund is open to all-comers and can support prevention and reuse projects. Both funds have supported projects targeting bulky waste, from provision of large containers on CA sites to collect bulky items to send to reuse organisations, through to supporting third sector businesses to increase the collection and range of bulky items and putting refurbished items onto the market. The Local Authority Prevention Network (LAPN) is an initiative of the Environmental Protection Agency led National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP), working with local authorities in the Republic of Ireland to deliver resource efficiency and waste prevention initiatives at a local and grassroots level. Twelve local authorities from across the Republic of Ireland are receiving financial support, through the Environment Fund, from the EPA; and technical support from the EPA and the Clean Technology Centre. They are active on prevention based projects where Rethink is replacing Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as the best option. The LAPN follows on from the successful completion of the Local Authority Prevention Demonstration (LAPD) Programme ( ) where 14 local authorities rethought their activities and achieved some excellent environmental and financial results. Many local authority waste awareness officers participated in a Waste Prevention Course as part of this programme. There is likely to be significant interest in an all island training course for local authorities and the reuse sector specifically on setting up a reuse initiative at a CA/RC. 6.3 AREAS OF DEPRIVATION/POTENTIAL MARKETS There are a range of different end markets for reused goods such as vintage, green, fashionable, thrifty and traditional h but the reuse market is principally driven by the demand for low cost goods by those with limited incomes. h These labels are from London CRN (2009) reuse report: Third Sector Reuse Capacity in London 35

56 Work is ongoing (for example within WRAP and Defra in the UK), to understand reuse behaviour and the value of reusable items; in particular how to combat negative perceptions regarding the quality of second hand goods. Behavioural change and an end to a throw away society mentality may be needed for reuse to become mainstream. This suggests therefore that despite some areas of society being willing to purchase reusable items the predominant customer base remains those on limited or low incomes. Therefore, the level of deprivation in an area is an indicator of market potential for reuse. Data from a 2008 study 7 looking at measures of deprivation between 1991 and 2006 indicates that disadvantaged urban areas particularly in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford demonstrate higher levels of deprivation than other areas of Ireland. This would suggest that urban areas in these locations will have larger populations of families and individuals that will benefit from the supply of low cost goods. However, the recent economic difficulties faced in the Republic of Ireland and the Eurozone at large are likely to be impacting all households in the Republic of Ireland; indeed the reuse sector survey results suggest that there has been a shift from goods sold to those on low incomes, to now a much wider clientele being interested in purchasing second hand items. In the Republic of Ireland, the national measure of deprivation is based on whether a household can afford 11 basic types of items, including food, clothing, heating, furniture and social participation. The overall basic deprivation rate fell from 2004 to 2007 and rose between 2007 and In 2010, some 30 per cent of children were in households experiencing basic deprivation compared to 23 per cent of the general population. These figures suggest there are a large number of households that would potentially benefit from access to low cost goods and that there is a market in the Republic of Ireland. Similar measures of deprivation are reported in Northern Ireland. The most recent report was published in 2010 (The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) ) by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The Northern Ireland measure of deprivation includes; income, employment, health, education, proximity to services, living environment and crime. Only income is a measure of monetary poverty, however the other indicators, in particular employment and living environment i, would suggest there are households that could benefit from the provision of low cost goods through reuse initiatives. The NIMDM 2010 results show that the majority of the most deprived areas are in Belfast and Derry. There are also areas of deprivation in Lisburn, Craigavon and Strabane. The majority of the least deprived areas are in the east of Northern Ireland. It is generally found that reuse organisations locate in these areas of associated deprivation, where there is a market demand for the low cost goods they produce and where employment and rehabilitation opportunities are created in the local area helping people break the poverty cycle and provide a better life for themselves. A study has recently been published by WRAP looking into consumer second-hand shopping behaviour to identify the reuse displacement effect. 9 A survey carried out in the study shows some interesting insights into the reasons why people may or may not buy reused items. Some of the reasons for buying second-hand in descending order of importance: Like getting a bargain Supporting a charity I have to watch my budget Can't afford to buy the item(s) new i The living environment criteria include access to suitable housing and quality of housing 36

57 Get better brand for same price as a lower quality brand Better for the environment The item(s) is too expensive new Better quality item(s) than new Like vintage/retro/antique things Can't find the item(s) new Can't buy new locally Reasons for not buying items second-hand in descending priority order: Like to buy new things Concerns about the quality Lack of a guarantee Concerns about durability Don't know New items are similarly priced No transport to get items home Don't need them Products not available except as new Don't know where to buy them secondhand Second hand venue opening hours Reason for purchasing in a particular venue: Always have a look just in case something of interest in Always got good items in Passing by and thought I'd have a look Support the charity Close by Clean and good layout Friends/family always come here Can try the items before buying Tried others didn't have what was looking for Gives guarantees/warranties No other choice in the area 37

58 7 LEGAL OBLIGATIONS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The following assumptions were made in carrying out the legislative review: The preferred reuse option is where segregated items intended for reuse are carefully put aside by CA/RC staff and collected by a third party reuse specialist for sale off-site. The reuse options are discussed in more detail in Section 9. Items meeting the relevant requirements will be accepted for reuse at the CA/RC gate in accordance with documented acceptance procedures as prescribed by a partnership reuse organisation. The items will be stored separately in a clearly labelled reuse area. Items for reuse will be handled separately to waste items. The items received will be designated for direct handover to a partnership reuse organisation. Reuse partnerships will be formally agreed between a CA/RC and a reuse organisation, i.e. reuse items will only be passed from CA/RCs to a reuse partner, and reuse items at CA/RCs will not be available to other parties. This is to ensure appropriate control of items leaving the site. All items assigned from CA/RCs to reuse organisations will be destined for reuse in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, preferably in the local community. 7.1 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK A review of the legal framework that is relevant to the movement of items for reuse from a CA/RC to a reuse organisation on the island of Ireland was carried out. The objective of the review is to set out the legal requirements for CA/RCs and reuse organisations and to determine if there are any barriers to this type of reuse initiative. The first question in defining the requirements is whether the material is a waste. The second question is what authorisation is required for the CA/RC, the reuse organisation and for the movement of items for reuse Is the Material a Waste? The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) places the waste hierarchy and reuse on a firm legal footing, as per Article 4. Article 11.1 specifies that Member States shall take measures, as appropriate, to promote the reuse of products and preparing for reuse activities, notably by encouraging the establishment and support of reuse and repair networks, the use of economic instruments, procurement criteria, quantitative objectives or other measures. The Waste Framework Directive includes the following definitions, Reuse means any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived, and Preparing for reuse means checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or components of products that have become waste are prepared so that they can be reused without any other pre-processing. The EU Commission 10 published a guidance document on interpretation of the key provisions of the above Directive in June It attributes the following meanings to the definitions of reuse and preparing for reuse. 38

59 Reuse is a means of waste prevention; it is not a waste-management operation. For example, if a person takes over a material, e.g. piece of clothing, directly from the current owner with the intention of reusing (even if some repairing is necessary) it for the same purpose, this comprises evidence that the material is not a waste. The key difference between reuse and preparing for reuse is that in the former case the material or object has not become a waste, whereas in the case of preparing for reuse, the material in question has become waste (EU Commission 2012) where waste is defined as any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard. Under the above definitions, where an item is being moved for reuse, it is not a waste activity and thus is not subject to waste legislative requirements. Items for reuse can move from CA/RCs to reuse organisations like any other product for sale, which includes the movements of items across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and vice versa. Under the above definitions, where an item is being moved to prepare it for reuse, it is a waste activity and is therefore subject to authorisation. Figure 7.1 is a flow chart illustrating the legislative requirements of preparing for reuse activity in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for: Facilities (CA/RCs, reuse organisations) Movement of waste (within the two jurisdictions and cross border) The flowchart in Figure 7.1 is followed by a discussion of these requirements and explains the options shown in the third column in the flowchart. 39

60 Figure 7.1: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Flow Chart of Legislative Requirements for Reuse and Preparing for Reuse 1. Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, S.I. 821 of 2007 as amended by S.I. 86 of Waste Management (Licensing) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 395 of 2004) 3. Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, S.I. 820 of 2007 as amended by S.I. 87 of Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 419 of 2007) 5. Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 as amended in The Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland)