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 [email protected] 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)

61 7.1.2 What Type of Authorisation is Required for Preparing for Reuse? This section examines the authorisation required for 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) Permitting Requirements for Waste Facilities under Waste Framework Directive Article 23 of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC obliges Member States to require any establishment or undertaking intending to carry out waste treatment to obtain a permit from the competent authority. Article 24 of Directive 2008/98/EC provides that Member States may exempt establishments or undertakings engaging in waste recovery operations from the permitting obligations laid down in Article 23. However, where a Member State wishes to provide exemptions in accordance with Article 24, Article 25 requires that General Binding Rules must be established to control the types, quantities and the methods of treatment to be used for the specified exemptions Facilities in the Republic of Ireland In the Republic of Ireland, all waste disposal and recovery activities are required to hold an authorisation in accordance with the Waste Management Act, as amended or alternatively an IPPC licence under Section 83 of the Environmental Protection Agency Acts. The practical arrangements that have been established in accordance with the provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC provide for four options in respect of the regulation of such activities at a facility. A waste recovery or disposal activity at a facility either: Requires a Waste (or IPPC) Licence, or Requires a Waste Facility Permit, or Requires a Waste Certificate of Registration/Registration Certificate, or In very exceptional and specific circumstances (e.g. treating by-products rather than wastes), constitutes an excepted activity (i.e. no waste authorisation required). However in practice this is a highly unlikely event. Certain waste activities are exempt from waste licensing under Sections 39 and 51 of the Waste Management Acts, as amended. In the case of an exempted activity, the activity would be subject to a Certificate of Registration/Registration Certificate in accordance with General Binding Rules under Article 25 of Directive 2008/98/EC specifying the types and quantities of waste that may be covered by an exemption and the method of treatment to be used. If an organisation is unsure of the level of authorisation required, they may make a request for a determination to the EPA in accordance with Article 11 of the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007, S.I. 821 of 2007 as amended in 2008 as to whether a proposed activity or activities shall be regarded as a licensable activity under Section 39(1) of the Act or as requiring a waste facility permit or certificate of registration under these Regulations, or none of these. All activities that require a waste licence are regulated by the EPA. Local Authorities regulate waste activities that require a waste facility permit within their functional areas. Certificates of Registration for 41

62 Local Authorities are regulated by the EPA in some cases and by the Local Authority for others. Accordingly, all Local Authority waste facility activities that are not subject to an exception are regulated by the EPA. Part I of the Third Schedule of the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations 2007 lists different classes of activities which require a waste facility permit under the prescribed conditions. Part II of the Third Schedule contains a list of activities that are subject to a certificate of registration/registration certificate under the prescribed conditions. None of the activities listed in Part II of the Third Schedule are applicable to a reuse organisation carrying out a waste activity preparation of bulky wastes for reuse. Therefore a waste facility permit is required in respect of the waste activity preparing for reuse. CA/RCs are often operated as part of a larger waste management facility and in such cases have a waste licence. As noted earlier, a Local Authority may not issue itself with a waste facility permit and therefore would be obliged to seek a certificate of registration/registration certificate or a waste licence from the EPA in respect of a stand alone CA/RC. Private waste operators can operate a CA/RC under a waste facility permit or a waste licence, in accordance with the specific activities and quantity thresholds that apply in legislation to these forms of authorisations. There are no additional requirements under this authorisation in respect of setting up a separate reuse and/or preparing for reuse collection area at a CA/RC once the facility is of course authorised to accept the bulky waste material. Where a facility receives bulky items for reuse, systems and protocols should be put in place by the operators so as to be able to demonstrate compliance to the satisfaction of the enforcement authorities with the documented acceptance procedures laid down by a partnership reuse organisation Planning requirements in the Republic of Ireland are subject to the Planning and Development Regulations Under these Regulations, Local Authority activities require Part VIII Planning in respect of CA/RCs with a Waste Facility Permit. Private operators require Planning Permission. The requirement for Planning Permission for Reuse organisations is dependent on the scale and nature of the activity Movement of Waste within the Republic of Ireland and to Northern Ireland In the case of a waste activity, subject to certain specified exceptions, any person moving waste is required to do so in accordance with the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended by the Waste Management (Collection Permit) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 87 of 2008). Accordingly, the Regulations require waste hauliers to hold a waste collection permit. There is a list of exempted circumstances under Article 30 of the Regulations under which a waste collector is excepted from the requirement to hold a waste collection permit. In general terms, the transportation of non-hazardous waste by persons who are not directly involved with the waste business, at weights less than 2 tonnes, and in vehicles not designed for the carriage of waste, are excepted. 11 The following items of Article 30 may also be of relevance in excepting the movement of bulky waste from CA/RCs for reuse organisations: Article 30 (1) (l) which excepts registered charities collecting furniture and large EEE items, subject to compliance with producer responsibility obligations, the requirement that the activity is being carried out in compliance with all other legal requirements and in a manner which avoids environmental pollution. Article 30(1)(m) which excepts the collection of waste at a central collection point by, or on behalf of a local authority, or with the approval of a local authority, where collection is undertaken by, or on behalf of, a community group. It is the responsibility of the reuse organisation collecting waste to ensure they have the appropriate authorisation to do so and it is also the responsibility of the CA/RC operator to ensure that they only pass waste materials to authorised (or exempted) carriers. 42

63 Import and/or export of waste to or from the Republic of Ireland is subject to the provisions of the Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations 2007, S.I. No Under the Regulations, authorisation is required to ship green list or amber list wastes. Green lists are non hazardous sorted wastes destined for recovery. Amber list wastes are hazardous and non-hazardous wastes destined for recovery or disposal. The TFS Regulations are complex and it is recommended that the specific TFS requirements for different categories of bulky waste be identified on a case by case basis It should be noted that reuse items not requiring repair through a waste-related operation would be considered a product and therefore not subject to TFS regulations. In general, the Regulations would require that preparing for reuse items would be segregated and packaged together, so for example all of the bicycles would be packaged together and all of the hard furniture items packaged together as a separate consignment. The bicycles and hard furniture consignments could then be sent in the same shipment. These items would be classified as Green List waste under the most appropriate Basel code for the item, e.g. a metal Basel code for the bicycles. With the preparing for reuse option, the requirement for a TFS to move bulky waste items for repair or refurbishment through a waste-related operation across the border on a small scale is likely to be a barrier to this activity. The Guidance Document for the Shipment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) published by Dublin City Council 12 outlines the policy for the export of WEEE and EEE. It states that if WEEE was to be shipped for recovery j that some pre-treatment may be required and that if EEE (not waste) was to be shipped for reuse k that proof of working order would be required for every item in the shipment. Section 7 of the guidance document defines the circumstances under which used EEE would normally be considered a waste Facilities in Northern Ireland In Northern Ireland, other than in certain specified circumstances, a Waste Management Licence is required to authorise the deposit, treatment, storage or disposal of controlled waste on any land, or by means of mobile plant, under the Waste Management Licensing Amendment Regulations (NI), as amended. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is responsible for granting licences, setting conditions on licensing activities and monitoring sites to ensure compliance. This is the most appropriate authorisation for CA/RCs in Northern Ireland. There are two types of waste management licensing exemptions: simple exemptions and complex exemptions. Again in the case of an exempted activity, the activity is subject to General Binding Rules under Article 25 of Directive 2008/98/EC and as referenced in the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (NI), as amended. In the case where a reuse organisation already holds a Waste Management Licence, the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review stated that clarification is required surrounding the requirement for modifications of the licence to authorise preparing for reuse. j There is a new definition of recovery in the WFD, it is 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. It includes preparation for reuse and recycling on the waste hierarchy in the WFD so therefore Other recovery is any operation meeting the above definition but failing to comply with the specific requirements for preparation for reuse or for recycling k Reuse is a means of waste prevention; it is not a waste management measure. If a person is taking over a material directly from the current owner with the intention of reusing it either for the same or another purpose, this gives evidence that the material is not a waste. This may in certain cases even involve the necessity of performing some repair activities. 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 in the meaning of the waste definition (EU Commission 2011) where waste is defined as any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard 43

64 A number of these exemptions are suited to bulky waste reuse activities. Those seeking an exemption have to submit an application form. While no charge is made for simple exemptions, a charge is normally made on application for a complex exemption. Most waste management licensing exemptions have limits on the type and quantity of the waste to be treated or stored, and length of storage/retention time. Unless a reuse organisation is eligible for an exemption, it would be required to hold a Waste Management Licence in respect of the waste activity preparing for reuse. The Planning (General Development) Order (NI) 1993 sets out the requirements for Planning Permission in Northern Ireland Movement of Waste within Northern Ireland and to the Republic of Ireland There is a legal requirement on companies or individuals who transport all categories of controlled waste, to apply for registration with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency under the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) A controlled waste is household, commercial or industrial waste. It may be solid or liquid. Businesses that only transport, broker or deal in certain types of waste and some organisations, are eligible to register as Lower Tier. l All other entities must register as Upper Tier. Charities and voluntary organisations are amongst the categories who can register as Lower Tier. Lower tier applicants receive confirmation of their registration in writing. Upper tier applicants receive a certificate of registration. The shipment of waste across borders is subject to the same set of requirements Europe wide so a similar set of controls are in place in Northern Ireland as in the Republic of Ireland. The Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007, S.I. No. 1711, as amended by the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste (Amendment Regulations 2008, S.I. No. 9) applies to Northern Ireland. The guidance for shipment of WEEE and EEE in the UK is similar to that mentioned above for the Republic of Ireland. The Environment Agency (for England and Wales) published a guidance note recently on when EEE is a waste, it states: If you have segregated equipment for repair or refurbishment and intend that repair or refurbishment to occur abroad, you must be able to show us evidence of an established system that ensures that almost all the equipment sent abroad will be reused, repaired or refurbished. We will consider the nature of the equipment, the method of storage before and during transit and the frequency of shipments in addition to any evidence you supply in deciding whether we accept the shipment is for reuse. If you intend to move waste into or out of the UK, then extra controls apply. You will need to understand exactly what is involved before moving the waste Conclusion/Recommendations Items will be accepted specifically for reuse at the CA/RC gate. The items should be stored separately in a clearly labelled reuse area. Items for reuse will be handled separately to waste items. Reuse partnerships should 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. It is the responsibility of the CA/RC to inform the relevant enforcement authority of their intention to set up a reuse/preparing for reuse initiative. l 44

65 It is the responsibility of the reuse organisation to ensure that they have the appropriate authorisation with regard to moving and treating waste items with respect to preparing for reuse. It is recommended that there is a review of legislation in the Republic of Ireland to examine the feasibility of introducing exemptions for reuse organisations from requiring a Waste Facility Permit for preparing for reuse waste activities. The exemption should set a maximum scale of operation that can be exempted. Any requirements for exemptions must meet the conditions under Article 25 of 2008/98/EC. It is probably not currently economically feasible for the majority of reuse organisations to obtain TFS authorisation to bring items across the border for preparing for reuse Other Legislation The Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulations of 2010 (S.I. 235 of 2010) support the implementation of the (amended) EU Regulation 850/2004 of 29 April 2004 on Persistent Organic Pollutants and Amending Directive 79/117/EEC. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a group of toxic chemicals that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in the food chain and can be transported long distances mainly by air and water. The production of most, if not all, of these substances is now banned under a UN Convention and protocol, but some POPs remain in use in certain articles. When such articles become waste they are required to be treated as per the requirements of the EU POPs Regulation, usually by thermal destruction so as to destroy the POPs content. The purpose therefore of the POPs Regulations is to ensure that materials containing POPs are disposed of correctly. Prolonging the life of an item through reuse from a CA/RC is not impacted by the Regulations. In 2010 and 2011, the EPA arranged limited sampling and analysis of Irish shredder residues to determine the presence of the certain flame retardant additive chemicals that are listed under the EU POPs Regulation and known as Bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs). The majority of the levels of BDEs from analysis were found at very low concentrations or not detected. In the case of soft furnishings such as mattresses and upholstery, these are typically managed as bulky waste and have been sent to landfill or recovered as solid recovered fuel. In December 2011 the EPA organised some very limited sampling and analysis of bulky waste including carpets, mattresses and upholstery (e.g. sofas) to identify the presence of BDEs. The study did not detect levels of POP BDEs in the wastes sampled. Further information on how the Republic of Ireland manages POPs is available in the National Implementation Plan, at the following link: an% pdf The national implementation plan for Northern Ireland can be found here: A revised draft national implementation plan has recently been released for consultation which is located at the following link: 45

66 8 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Two stakeholder consultation meetings were held in order to seek the opinions of the CA/RC sector, reuse organisations, regulatory and policy bodies and the Republic of Ireland WEEE compliance schemes. The stakeholders from the CA/RC and reuse sectors were selected from those that had responded to the surveys. It was not possible within the scope of this project to invite all CA/RC owners or reuse organisations, but it is believed that the survey responses gave a very good indication of the sectors opinions on this reuse initiative. Based on findings of the research, it became apparent that it would be useful to have two separate stakeholder meetings, one to discuss WEEE and the other to discuss other potential items for reuse such as furniture, textiles, bikes, toys and books. A summary of the outcome of each meeting is presented below. The stakeholders included representatives of reuse organisations (Rediscovery Centre, Bryson Electrical, Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative, Rehab and Oxfam) and local authorities (Wicklow County Council and Fingal County Council) along with the DECLG, WRAP NI, Community Resource Network (CRN), Irish Charity Shops Association (ICSA), ReEvaluate Project, WEEE Ireland, ERP Ireland and a commercial entity Discount Appliances. The Rediscovery Centre, Bryson Electrical and Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative are discussed in Section 4. The CRN is an all island representative body for community based reuse, recycling and waste prevention organisations on the island of Ireland. They promote reuse and social inclusion at national and local authority level through networking, campaigning and events. CRN offers support to their member organisations through the publication and dissemination of best practice guidance and related information. They represent the majority of the C&SES on the island of Ireland. Discount Appliances is a private company that sells new and reconditioned electrical appliances. The ICSA represents the majority of charity shop organisations in the Republic of Ireland. Members range from large national charities to smaller locally based ones. They have 16 members which have just over 200 shops, approximately 90 of which are run under the umbrella of the St. Vincent de Paul. Of these 200 shops, there are approximately 8 that accept and sell furniture. The secretary of the ICSA was unable to attend the stakeholder meeting but met separately with the project team to discuss the topics addressed at the meeting. The ReEvaluate project was an R&D Programme conducted at the University of Limerick (UL) between which was tasked with examining the reuse potential of WEEE in the Republic of Ireland. The project was funded by the Irish Government s Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRIVE) Programme under the management of the EPA. Along with the R&D programme, the project evaluated existing initiatives for E-waste reuse in the South Dublin region and identified best practice in reuse from Europe and elsewhere, in order to make recommendations for the increase of reuse in line with the recast WEEE Directive. The final report will be published in Rehab Recycle was established in 1984 in Cork, primarily to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The not for profit organisation provides training, employment, health and social care and commercial services for people in Ireland and in other countries. It is involved in the recycling of glass, paper & cardboard, expanded polystyrene and WEEE. More recently Rehab opened a WEEE reuse facility in Dublin. WEEE Ireland and ERP Ireland are the two WEEE compliance schemes in the Republic of Ireland. They were founded by producers of electrical and electronic appliances in order to collectively comply with the legal obligations imposed by the WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC. They organise for the 46

67 treatment and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment and batteries and accumulators from authorised collection points, on behalf of their Producer members. Under the existing legislation in the Republic of Ireland, these two schemes collect all of the WEEE from CA/RC sites and as such have ownership of it once it has been dropped off by a member of the public. The overall aim of WRAP NI is to help drive increases in recycling and resource efficiency in Northern Ireland. To do this, WRAP NI delivers a range of programmes, initiatives and other interventions to help people and organisations reduce waste and recycle more. Their recently completed bulky waste review in Northern Ireland has led to the commencement of some reuse partnerships between CA/RCs and reuse organisations. 8.1 STAKEHOLDER MEETING NON-WEEE ITEMS This meeting was attended by Wicklow County Council who owns and operates 5 CA/RCs and Fingal County Council who owns and operates 2 CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland m, the Rediscovery Centre, Oxfam, CRN, WRAP NI and rx3. It was facilitated by the project team. The meeting was very positive, both the local authorities and the reuse organisations were very engaged in the meeting and believed that partnerships between CA/RCs and reuse organisations would lead to increased reuse. It is noted that the Rediscovery Centre and Fingal County Council had already commenced discussions regarding such a partnership and had completed a lot of the groundwork regarding a potential reuse initiative. That experience was very informative to the other stakeholders and the project team. The following topics were discussed with the key findings included here: Selling on-site or off-site - Local authorities are reluctant to have their staff handling money at on-site shops. - Staffing is a key issue for local authorities in terms of running a shop. - The benefits of education and awareness for the public should be taken into account when designing a reuse initiative. Range of materials to accept - The materials chosen are very much dependent on partnerships with reuse organisations. - The choice of materials should spark the public imagination in order to garner interest. Infrastructure requirements - The option of a national reuse centre was discussed, which might operate like a central clearing house for lots of potential reuse items at which reuse organisations could pick and choose items. Staffing requirements Publicity and signage Working with partners Contracts and effective management Measurement of reuse - There was agreement for the need for a national system of measuring reuse (CRN method n ) and publishing of the results. The reuse organisations and local authorities present would like to see them published in the NWR. m An invitation to attend was extended to district councils in Northern Ireland but none were available to attend. An invitation was also extended to Sunflower Recycling who had accepted but was unable to attend on the day 47

68 Support for Reuse - This topic generated a lot of discussion and agreement from all parties. It is believed that more support is needed for reuse initiatives, backed up by policy or legislation. - There is a need to convince the end user of the potential quality of reuse items, this can be achieved with the help of awareness programmes. - There is an urgent requirement for a national co-ordinated approach to reuse including an all-ireland protocol of reuse. - There is a requirement for training for local authority staff to change mindsets from negative perceptions of what will it cost to open minded assessments of benefits and costs. - There was support for a national symbol for reuse. - The attendees consider that support for existing initiatives and groups should take priority rather than starting any new schemes. The stakeholder meeting gave the project team some very useful ideas in terms of making recommendations for this project, which are expanded upon in Section STAKEHOLDER MEETING WEEE The stakeholder meeting regarding WEEE was attended by the two (ROI) WEEE compliance schemes, the DECLG, ReEvaluate, Bryson Electrical, Rehab Recycling, Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative and a commercial entity, Discount Appliances who imports WEEE for reuse from the UK and hopes to identify WEEE for reuse from the Republic of Ireland. WEEE taken to a CA/RC or collected by a local authority in Northern Ireland is owned by the local authority unless there are contractual arrangements in place with a third party granting ownership to them. All WEEE has to be made available to the compliance scheme in Northern Ireland, therefore there is a loss of income (to the local authorities) associated with the scrap value. Northern Ireland has successful reuse partnerships for WEEE between local authorities and reuse organisations within Northern Ireland. It was determined from the meeting that a reuse initiative between CA/RCs and reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland is not currently feasible. Under the current regulatory regime, the two WEEE compliance schemes have ownership/responsibility for the majority of WEEE collected at CA/RCs. This arrangement was put in place to ensure proper control of WEEE and to secure that it is passed to appropriate compliant facilities for treatment. Neither of the schemes considered a pilot/demonstration study to be appropriate at the time. It is likely that reuse schemes for WEEE from CA/RCs will not be feasible until there are some changes to the current legal arrangement. Some examples of suggested changes are detailed later in this section. Although this was disappointing for the project, there were some interesting points of discussion at the meeting which are summarised here. The DECLG and the reuse organisations are very keen to see reuse of WEEE happening through this channel. In addition the results of a 4 year research programme by the ReEvaluate team at UL are very positive; their data supports the reuse of white goods as a sustainable strategy for the Republic of Ireland. The challenge for the DECLG during the transposition phase of the recast of the WEEE Directive is to put a structure in place to allow access to materials by reuse organisations whilst preventing issues at CA/RC sites. Member States will be required to achieve preparation for reuse and recycling targets for WEEE from 2015 on. In addition, a new National Waste Policy for the Republic of Ireland was n CRN has developed a method of assigning weights to reuse items and recording reuse activities. CRN is the representative body for the majority of the C&SES in Ireland 48

69 released in July 2012 including proposals for National Reuse Policy for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. o The recovery targets in 2012/19/EU are as follows: The achievement of the recovery/recycling and prepared for reuse targets are calculated as the weight of the WEEE entering respective treatment facilities divided by the weight of all separately collected WEEE. Until 2015, the targets of the current WEEE Directive remain applicable. From 2016 to 2018, equipment prepared for reuse will count towards the recycling target (except for gas discharge lamps) and all targets (except those for gas discharge lamps) will be increased by 5%. From 2019, the targets are based on the new WEEE categories. While this will leave targets unchanged for many products, they will be higher for small cooling equipment (no dimension exceeding 50 cm) and EEE with monitors larger than 100 cm 3 (laptops, tablets and larger smartphones), and lower for small IT equipment and consumer electronics without monitors. The ReEvaluate Project contributed that they surveyed 28 global organisations from which there are two simple messages: Get the equipment Communicate the quality of the goods Their study indicated that the demand in the Republic of Ireland was found to be greater than other countries in the EU. The ReEvaluate team developed an assessment technique called the Alternative Energy Demand Technique and found that in terms of impact, it is still more efficient to reuse an item than buy one if it is one with an energy efficiency rating lower than the cheapest on the market, so, e.g. cheapest washing machine on the market in the Republic of Ireland is A rated, therefore it is efficient to reuse a B rated machine. The cheapest item on the Irish market is a C rated dryer, therefore it is still more efficient to reuse a D rated dryer than to buy a new C rated dryer. Whilst communicating support for reuse in theory, the WEEE compliance schemes have too many concerns to go ahead with any trials. Those concerns are summarised as: Brand protection Liability/post use warranty (insurances/level of refurbishment) Recalls Tracking system Competition Standards Agreement input from: o Retailers o 49

70 o o o o o o Public Producers Reuse organisations Local authorities Trade organisations IBEC All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study It is apparent that the WEEE compliance schemes want to have full control of any reuse activity in order to justly uphold the interests of the Producers that they represent. The reuse organisations based in the Republic of Ireland agreed that they would like a representative framework for WEEE Reuse and a unique Irish certification system taking the best parts from existing European systems, and not solely adopting the UK system (PAS141). There have been previous discussions and some of the reuse organisations are working towards a representative framework which they hope would address: Objectives Repair and liability Transport End users understanding of second hand goods A label Governing of reuse to prevent grey/black market Product placement Certification Further points relevant to the practicalities of reuse activities were highlighted and it was also referenced that items for reuse, mainly white goods, are imported from the UK as there is not access to sufficient stock in the Republic of Ireland. In summary, there is proof through the ReEvaluate research that a reuse scheme is feasible in the Republic of Ireland. There are reuse organisations established and ready to accept material both in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. Successful reuse of WEEE occurs in Northern Ireland through partnerships between a number of local authorities and Bryson Electrical Recycling. The reuse operation has the support of the Producer Compliance Scheme. There is an excellent system of WEEE collection in the Republic of Ireland but a change in the regulatory setup is required to make reuse of WEEE possible. This change will be in line with Articles 5 and 6 of the Recast WEEE Directive that deals with disposal and transport of collected WEEE. These specify that: Article 5: Member States may require that the WEEE deposited at collection facilities referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 is handed over to producers or third parties acting on their behalf or is handed over, for purposes of preparing for reuse, to designated establishments or undertakings. Article 6: 1. Member States shall prohibit the disposal of separately collected WEEE which has not yet undergone the treatment specified in Article 8 (which refers to Proper Treatment ). 50

71 2. 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 reuse, recycling and the confinement of hazardous substances. 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. Article 15 also states that Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that producers provide information free of charge about preparation for reuse and treatment in respect of each type of new EEE placed for the first time on the Union market within one year after the equipment is placed on the market. This is to assist reuse organisations in their refurbishment activity and to ensure that they comply with the provisions of the recast WEEE Directive. 51

72 9 REVIEW OF OPTIONS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study 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. 9.1 OVERVIEW OF CA/RC REUSE OPTIONS Within the UK, a reasonably wide variety of systems have been implemented across different CA/RCs for the reuse of bulky items. These systems are well documented, most recently in the WRAP Bulky Waste Guidance. 14 Some reuse does take place at and from CA/RCs on the island of Ireland. The following scenarios were considered during the options review: Scenario 1: Items segregated for resale on-site, with the addition of a workshop to refurbish and repair bulky items. Scenario 2a: Items segregated and sold on-site by site operator. Scenario 2b: Items segregated by site staff for sale by reuse specialist on-site. Scenario 3a: Segregated by third party for sale off-site. Scenario 3b: Segregated by site staff and collected by third party reuse specialist for sale offsite. As discussed in Section 3, the CA/RC owners were asked to choose which, from a list of options, would be most preferable at their site(s). The majority stated a preference for segregation of the items on-site for sale off-site, i.e. Scenario 3b. This is also the most common method of CA/RC reuse observed in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The following section therefore focuses on how to manage such an operation. The other reuse management option selected by CA/RC sites was managing reuse on-site with on-site sales. This option is discussed in Appendix B. In the case where a reuse initiative is not feasible at a CA/RC, the local authority can opt for a comprehensive reuse communications initiative. Regardless of the chosen option, there are a number of practical considerations to take into account for a reuse scheme to be successful. Each has an associated resource and financial cost. 52

73 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 Scenario 3b: Segregated by Site Staff and Collected by a Reuse Specialist for Sale Off-site This option was the preference of the CA/RC survey respondents and offers potential for high reuse rates. However in order to make it a successful operation it is imperative that all reuse project partners are fully committed and communicate effectively to ensure the appropriate type and quality of items are segregated for reuse/preparing for reuse activity. The benefit of this option to the CA/RC operator is that it requires less space than an on-site shop. A dedicated covered area will be needed for site users to deposit potentially reusable items. The appropriate size will depend on the type of items targeted and the frequency of collection by the reuse organisation. Typically, one or two shipping containers or roll on roll off skips would be adequate. The CA/RC operator could partner with more than one organisation for reuse of different material streams. Most common would be one partner for reuse of WEEE and a second for furniture (and any other items). Bicycles could be reused via a third specialist. There is also a lower cost structure associated with this option as a smaller covered area is needed (rather than a shop) and there is no requirement for fixtures and fittings. It is recommended that there are separate collection units for items for direct reuse and for the preparing for reuse items and that these are clearly labelled. This option is unlikely to interfere with the flow of traffic on-site and increase congestion. Vehicular access to the container to facilitate collections is essential. Site visitors will use the drop-off area as they would any other skip; depositing an item under the guidance of site staff, before exiting the site or moving to another skip on-site. It would require the input of site staff to manage the area and ensure it does not over-flow and that the appropriate items are segregated. These duties can be incorporated into existing roles and responsibilities and can be shared amongst staff in lieu of recruiting a dedicated staff member. This option is dependent on finding a suitable reuse partner and developing an effective and professional partnership. As the case studies in Section 9.3 show, developing this partnership takes 53

74 time but will be crucial to the success of the reuse service. Agreement needs to be reached regarding the income (for example does it all remain with the reuse partner), ownership and liability and operational issues such as which organisation is responsible for identifying reusable items and transporting them off-site. This option is not as high profile as an on-site shop and therefore it will be important for a communications campaign and on-site signage to alert site users to the initiative and encourage both supply (deposit of items) and demand (purchase of items in the off-site shop). In Northern Ireland, local authority kerbside bulky waste collections could also use this reuse method. Any items that are identified as reusable can be diverted to the CA/RC reuse container and collected along with items from the CA/RC. Other options to maximise reuse of items collected during the bulky rounds can be found in the WRAP bulky waste guidance report Communicating Reuse Options A local authority or CA/RC operator could opt to manage a communications campaign without segregating items for reuse. This option could be implemented as an interim arrangement whilst negotiations take place with potential partner organisations. A very simple measure would be to provide viewers of the council website waste pages (and any CA/RC information leaflets) with details on the existing reuse avenues and on waste prevention, reduction and reuse messages. With the agreement of the local reuse organisations and charity shops, these organisations could be listed. Web links to FreeTrade Ireland and the local Freegle and Freecycle groups, other online exchange sites (if the householder believes the item still has a monetary value) should be promoted. Text such as If you have items that you think may be suitable for reuse you may wish to contact one of the following organisations:... should be included on the CA/RC page. To strengthen the message this could be near the top of the page and include an eye catching visual image as well as a short list of the items wanted. This may need to be regularly updated if the reuse organisations become inundated with one type of item. Bulky waste is often created at particular stages in our lives. People are likely to look for advice at key points in their lives which may coincide with the need to dispose of items (e.g. students; house clearances or empty nesters). People moving into the area or being re-housed may be looking to purchase items. It is worth checking to see if the council website has life stages information; suggestions for reuse could be made on these pages. There may also be opportunities to provide information on reuse outlets through local estate or letting agents and particularly housing associations. This option is low cost, requires minimum effort and no changes to infrastructure at the CA/RCs. It is likely to generate lower levels of reuse and it will be difficult for the Council to measure the impact of the communications activity. 9.2 COSTS As discussed in Section 9.1, there were two preferred options for bulky waste reuse at CA/RCs and these are shown in Figure

75 Figure 9.1: Preferred Reuse Options at CA/RCs All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study 40 ft Container (or similar) or Use Existing On-site Enclosed Area Transport Off-site for Repair and Sale On-site Inspection of Bulky Waste Purpose Built Onsite Shop and Materials Sold On-site On-site Inspection of Bulky Waste Photo courtesy of Recycle Now Purpose Built On-site Shop and Materials Sold On-site Photo courtesy of Marlborough District Council, Blenheim, New Zealand The direct cost of a bulky waste reuse scheme at a CA/RC is the difference between income and expenditure. However, any set-up and up-front costs, prior to starting the service will also have to be covered. The principle budget headings are shown in Figure 9.2. Figure 9.2: Costs Headings Associated with a CA/RC Bulky Waste System 55

76 A cost model has been prepared for Option 3b (segregating items on-site and sending off-site to a reuse organisation) and Option 2a (segregating items on-site for repair, refurbishment and sale onsite). The costs for the preferred option (Scenario 3b) are included below and costs for Scenario 2a are included in Appendix B. Option 3b: Principal Headings and Costs In this option the only capital cost incurred by the CA/RC operator is the cost associated with purchasing or renting a shipping container if no indoor or covered space is available. The average 40 ft shipping container will measure 12.2 m x 2.4 m x 2.4 m. Maximum internal capacity is around 66 m 3. The indicative cost for a 40 ft shipping container is 1,500/ 1,200. If the CA/RC operator were to rent a container, it would cost approximately 20/ 16 per week plus 150/ 120 delivery charge. Various forms of bulky waste can be stored within the container provided the frequency of collection is sufficient to prevent overfilling. Training would be provided by the reuse organisation so that site operators would have the necessary skills and knowledge to identify bulky items suitable for reuse and or repair. As part of the normal training and development of site staff they would have received the necessary manual handling and health and safety training. The additional training costs would be minor. Based on the results of the surveys, many of the reuse organisations are willing to provide a collection service to the CA/RC. However it is likely, particularly if there are long journey distances involved that a shared cost could be a reasonable arrangement. The costs of acquiring and running a vehicle are shown below. There are a number of vehicle types that would be suitable ranging from a transit type van to a 3.5 t van with tail lift. Indicative costs of purchasing a vehicle; and ongoing annual costs are: Vehicle purchase 33,125/ 26,500 Upkeep ( 1,200/ 960) Fuel ( 2,500/ 2,000) Tax and insurances ( 3,200/ 2,560) Driver ( 25,000/ 20,000) Some reuse organisations use a courier to collect bulky waste, with cost ranging from 25-50/ per collection. The actual transportation cost would depend on the size and number of items being collected and the number of collections per year. Driver costs would be in the order of ( 25,000/ 20,000) per year. It is unlikely that the driver would be employed full time collecting reuse items from CA\RCs. As many reuse organisations have existing transport infrastructure and arrangements in place it is unlikely that a local authority would need to purchase a vehicle for the express purpose of reuse collections from a CA/RC site. Marketing and communication costs would cover on-site signage ( 250/ 200) and any publicity materials ( 500/ 400 per year). The costs are summarised in Table

77 Table 9.1: All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Principal Costs for CA/RC Associated with Scenario 3b Capital Costs Expected One-off Costs / Shipping Container (40 ft) 1,500/ 1,200 Delivery Vehicle 33,125/ 26,500 Operational Costs Expected Costs per Annum Delivery of Shipping Container 150/ 120 (one off-cost if renting) Rental of Shipping Container ( 20/ 16 per week) 1,040/ 832 Marketing and Communication 250/ 200 Education and Awareness Materials 500/ 400 Operational Costs Optional Costs per Annum Vehicle Maintenance 1,200/ 960 Fuel 2,500/ 2,000 Tax and Insurance 3,200/ 2,560 Driver 25,000/ 20,000 or Courier service 25-50/ per collection 9.3 DEMONSTRATION/CASE STUDIES The original scope of the project planned for two reuse pilot/demonstration studies to be carried out during the summer of There was interest in participating from many of the CA/RCs survey respondents and from all of the reuse organisations surveyed. Two local authority CA/RCs were selected for the pilot/demonstration studies. However, only one demonstration study was conducted during the timeframe of the project. The project partners in this demonstration had engaged in preliminary discussions and work on the reuse initiative in advance of this project. The second reuse pilot/demonstration study group did not proceed with the study during the course of the project but they are working to implement a reuse initiative on their CA/RC site. 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 with regard to establishing a reuse initiative on a CA/RC site Demonstration Study: Fingal County Council Partnering with the Rediscovery Centre Background In response to growing national and international concern in relation to the management of natural resources and waste, the Rediscovery Centre has been developed as a social enterprise in Ballymun complementing the ongoing physical, social and environmental urban regeneration of the area. The centre presents an integrated solution to waste issues combining innovative environmental business activities with waste education and translational research projects. The Rediscovery Centre is seen as a reuse leader in the Republic of Ireland and progressive in the European context and has gained international recognition as an example of best practice waste reuse evidenced by an increase in overseas visitors including the European reuse network (rreuse) and delegations from the community reuse network in Scotland. In the area of enterprise development, a number of business units exist 57

78 which use waste as a resource, divert waste from landfill, provide employment and training and inspire sustainable living. An award-winning furniture restoration and reuse initiative was established in 2006 which currently employs 9 previously long-term unemployed participants. The business diverts on average 7 tonnes of furniture from landfill annually of which 90% is reused. The aim of the enterprise is to provide employment and training opportunities for local unemployed people and to date over 35 people have benefited from participating in Rediscover Furniture gaining valuable personal and professional skills training. Rediscover furniture accepts most items in good condition that are suitable for reuse or restoration. Approximately 10% of all items reused are reused directly (with little modification bar structural inspection and cleaning) and the remaining 80% of goods are prepared for reuse through a number of processes including item disassembly, redesign and reconstruction as new products. In addition to their reuse activities they also provide a furniture restoration service and an outreach education programme for third level institutions. The Rediscovery Centre has one van with drivers and provides a collection and delivery service 5 days a week (Mon-Fri). The delivery service is free to the local area of Ballymun and Finglas. There is a 20 collection fee for furniture in the City Centre and North Dublin. Different fees apply to others areas. Their primary service area is Dublin City and County and they have two key markets; good quality, affordable furniture items sold on a regular basis to the local community and high end designer items sold to other buyers outside the local community at a lower frequency. In 2008, a recycled fashion, homeware and accessories line was also launched by the Rediscovery Centre as Ireland s green fashion label Rediscover Fashion. Although operating on a small scale from a waste perspective (diverting less than 1 t of textile waste from landfill annually) the enterprise has been acknowledged as an example of best practice reuse and was awarded the Guinness Social Entrepreneurs Award in A paint recycling scheme was set up in 2009, which accepts and recycles water based paints. Paint is distributed through a membership scheme to community organisations, schools and members of the public. In 2011 Rediscover Paint diverted 1.26 t from disposal of which 0.76 t has been reused. A bicycle reuse and recycling business was also launched in October 2010 which repairs and recycles old bicycles. In 2011 approximately 1.2 t of bicycles were reused. This represents in the region of 80 bicycles. In total the Rediscovery Centre employs 22 staff; 8 full time, 12 community employment/tús participants and 2 volunteers. The Rediscovery Centre s operational activities generate income from a variety of sources with the greatest revenue generated from services provided to Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. and profit from the sale of Rediscovery Centre products. The Rediscovery Centre is currently working in partnership with 2 CA/RCs (Estuary and Coolmine) owned and operated by Fingal County Council (FCC). They collect reusable paint from their sites and also facilitate the return of unusable paint/tins. The Rediscovery Centre has indicated that it is interested in exploring opportunities to develop additional links with other CA/RCs and for other reusable materials. Based on experience their preferred model would be to accept pre-screened suitable items from CA/RCs for reuse, redesign and sale at the Rediscovery Centre. Material of Interest As an expansion of the Rediscovery Centre s bicycle initiative and in order to support this study a demonstration study was established with FCC and the Rediscovery Centre to start collecting bicycles from the Estuary CA/RC. 58

79 Set Up All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Fingal County Council and the Rediscovery Centre were in discussions prior to the request to participate in the bulky waste reuse demonstration study. Therefore the preliminary work carried out and existing working relationship on paint reuse put them in a good position to carry out the demonstration in the timeframe of the bulky waste reuse management project. The following preparatory works were carried out in order to implement the bicycle reuse scheme: Development and implementation meetings were held to discuss the scheme and identify potential issues, learning from previous experiences with paint collections. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was prepared and signed by both parties detailing the nature of proposed operations. Written agreements regarding appropriate insurances and liability. Procurement of a shipping container by Fingal County Council for the indoor storage of bikes and preparation of the CA site for the installation of the container. The Rediscovery Centre prepared and provided acceptance criteria documentation, which included graphics; and further training for CA/RC staff on-site. FCC has developed a collection docket to track and record the number of bicycles. Signage organised by FCC. Space for shipping container at CA site prepared by FCC estimated to take 2 hours. The Rediscovery Centre also developed templates to record the number and type of bicycles and date of collection. Fortnightly collection schedule put in place. In early August 2012, FCC began accepting bicycles. Costs FCC is so far very happy with the new initiative. Their main resources spent were time and money. A shipping container was bought for 1,500/ 1,200. This cost also included delivery of the shipping container to the site. The main resources went into organising this container and the space on-site. FCC considers the time very well spent. FCC is aware of the potential for abuse of a reuse system whereby the public could take advantage of donating bikes for reuse, therefore FCC charges users of the CA/RC to drop off bicycles to mitigate this risk. There is a loss of income to FCC from diverting bicycles for reuse as they would otherwise be sold as scrap metal but FCC is aware of the value of reuse and establishing reuse behaviours. Results On average ten to fifteen bikes are collected for reuse per month. The acceptance criteria has been valuable as about eighty percent of all bikes segregated for reuse are actually reused with the remainder returned for scrap metal. The Rediscovery Centre highlighted some early concerns related 59

80 to quality. However this was flagged immediately in order to improve acceptance criteria and establish best practice. Of the 80 % reused by the Rediscovery Centre approximately thirty per cent of those are rebuilt and sold on as complete bikes with the rest being stripped down and used for spare parts. The items that prove not fit for purpose during the process can be returned to the Estuary recycling centre for recycling. It has been observed that not many of the bicycles delivered to the recycling centre are in top condition. Generally when a member of the public brings a bike to the recycling centre they already consider it waste, i.e. too expensive to repair and/or replace parts. From the perspective of bulky waste diversion, the tonnes saved by bicycle reuse may be small however the project partnership is raising awareness about reuse and the project objectives which is worthwhile in terms of creating reuse behaviours. It is expected that both the quality of bikes donated and the volumes will increase as more people become aware of the service. It is anticipated by both parties that the scope of the partnership could broaden to also accept furniture for reuse Case Study: Revamp Background Revamp is an innovative furniture recycling and reuse initiative of the Longford Employment, Development and Information Centre (EDI) and was established initially in 2002 as a training project for long-term unemployed young people. In 2003, the project expanded and now strives to promote the reuse of unwanted high quality, low cost household furniture to people living in Co Longford and the surrounding environs. Revamp is a member of the Community Recycling Network (CRN). Revamp is funded through the Community Services Programme (CSP) which supports social enterprises to deliver local services to communities and enables them to employ people from disadvantaged groups. They have to submit a business plan each year and are currently funded to They employ 13 staff and the volunteer board of directors helps and guides the service. Staff funding is through Pobal who fund the employment of the manager and 6 staff, the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) who fund 3 staff and Tús, who fund 2 staff. Income from their shop helps to maintain services in their Education, Development and Information Centre. The Tús initiative is a community work placement scheme providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people. The work opportunities are to benefit the community and are to be provided by community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas. The Tús initiative is managed by local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta for the Department of Social Protection, which has overall responsibility for the scheme. Pobal is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status that manages various funding programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU. The aims of the RSS are to provide income support for farmers and fishermen/women who are currently in receipt of specified Social Welfare payments. Revamp is located in a business park on the outskirts of Longford. The EDI houses the Revamp Training Centre, Revamp shop and Revamp restoration unit. Their total floor space is approximately 10,000 sq ft. They have their own van for transportation of reuse items. The project combines environmental, social and economic factors, by recycling unwanted household furniture for the disadvantaged with training and the provision of employment opportunities for longterm unemployed young people. 60

81 Extensive research was carried out to ascertain the potential supply and volume of furniture available for the venture. Through desk research and liaison with Mulleadys Refuse who own and operate 2 CA/RCs in Co. Longford it was established that the available supply of pre-owned furniture and other household goods was substantial. The scope for adding value to the items supplied or currently entering the waste stream is significant. Materials Accepted Revamp accepts the following items: Bedroom furniture Dining and living room furniture Office desks/chairs Small bric-a-brac, including utensils, crockery etc Occasional furniture Revamp will also restore old furniture. Services Repairs and refurbishment work are carried out in the workshop, with steam cleaning and basic repair work adding value and usefulness to the many items currently disposed. When the work is complete the furniture is available for sale in the showroom. In addition to furniture collections at CA/RCs, Revamp offers a free doorstep collection and delivery service, Monday to Friday, where people can make direct contact to arrange collection or delivery of an item. On collection calls outs, if items are considered suitable for reuse they will be taken free of charge and if not suitable for reuse, Revamp can bring them to landfill for a charge. When reuse items are bought by customers, delivery is provided. Where collections and deliveries are outside of their area i.e. Longford and the surrounding counties, there may be a low fee charged depending on the length of the journey and the number of items. The public are often keen to make contributions to transport costs in this case. Longford County Council runs a periodic bulky waste collection service and they contact Revamp if they receive any items suitable for reuse. They also accept fly tipped items that the Council collects and judges to be suitable for reuse. Through Revamps activities, approximately 40 tonnes of furniture was reused in Future Plans Revamp is keen to expand their service offering to the reuse of white goods. In order to do so Revamp must enter into discussions with the retailers of EEE and with the two WEEE collective compliance schemes that are approved under the WEEE Regulations. In addition staff training must be carried out to facilitate the testing and repair of electrical items. An appropriate fit out and testing area must also be developed. Revamp is interested in partnering with CA/RCs in order to develop more supply chains for reuse items. 61

82 9.3.3 Case Study: FreeTrade Ireland Reuse Events All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The FreeTrade Ireland reuse service facilitates the online reuse of unused and unwanted items. It is a public service which has been operating as a standalone web service since July The service has been very successful in delivering reuse, with over 23,000 items reused in the first two years. Promoting the service is vital to growing awareness and participation and in particular the need to publicise directly to members of the public. The team examined different approaches for a reuse event. Public recycling centres were identified as potentially good locations for a reuse event through face-to-face engagement with members of the public to discuss reuse and the benefits of the FreeTrade Ireland service. The project team visited recycling centres in Mayo, Limerick and Roscommon and held a series of reuse days. The aim was to engage with people visiting the centres to make them aware of the service and the reuse potential of items which they were bringing for recycling/disposal. This interaction was found to be very effective and items were diverted away from the recycling centre skips at each event and made available for reuse on the service. A short description of each event and the experience gained is provided in the following sections. Ballina Recycling Centre Reuse Day The Ballina Recycling Centre in Mayo was the pilot site for the reuse day. During the event a number of items, brought to site by local people, were identified for reuse. These items included bikes, a knitting machine, a sewing machine, CDs, books etc. All of these items were posted on the website following the event by the FreeTrade Ireland Team. The Knitmaster machine, Figure 9.3, is an example of a pre-loved machine which was rescued for reuse at the event. The machine was in perfect working order and the typical value for such an item is about 700/ 560. The owner had offered the item to family and friends but with no interest it appeared the machine was destined for the skip. The FreeTrade Ireland team took the item and posted it on the website. Within a day of posting an ad for the item up on the website there were ten interested parties a number of which were willing to travel from different parts of the country to obtain this item. Figure 9.3: Reused Knitmaster Machine 62

83 In total 20 items were reused from the event, which represents a 75% reuse rate of the items gathered on the day. The event benefited from advance promotion through local radio and newspaper publications. Over 40 people signed up to FreeTrade Ireland on the day and local membership of the service increased by 33% as a result of the event. Limerick Reuse Day This reuse event took place at Mungret Recycling Centre in Limerick in June Located just outside the city boundary this centre was considered ideal for the event as it serves people of Limerick City and County. The centre itself has an average footfall of approximately 200 people per day and is operated by Indaver, a private operator, on behalf of Limerick County Council. There is currently a designated reuse area in operation within the recycling centre where items deemed suitable for reuse are brought. Members of the public can view items in the storage area and pick up an item for free. This was the first recycling centre encountered that had such a facility. Figure 9.4: Reuse Area at the Recycling Centre In advance of the reuse event, a press release was prepared and issued to the local media and circulated by the Local Authority environmental awareness team. On the reuse day 38 items were selected for reuse and 90% of these were reused through the website. Roscommon Reuse Day Boyle Recycling Centre was the location of the Roscommon reuse day. It is an indoor enclosed facility, with limited open hours, low footfall and in a rural location. A small number of items were passed on to the FreeTrade Ireland team and these items were catalogued and posted up on the website. There were a number of interesting learnings from this reuse event: The public was unaware of the service and the event prior to the day and this impacted on the level of participation. 60% increase in membership in the area since the event. 63

84 On-site signs promoting the service would be valuable for promotion of the service/reuse to members of the public already interested in recycling and engaging in good waste management practices. Given the nature of the recycling centre, a small site in a small urban centre, and the low footfall on the day, there was limited opportunity to interact with visitors to promote the service. This type of site is not considered suitable for the hosting of future reuse events Case Study: Derry City Council Partnering with the Resource Centre Derry Background Derry City Council (DCC) has been planning to set up a reuse facility in the city for several years. Once an initial decision was made to pursue the idea, the City Engineer s Department considered the licensing and regulatory requirements to which they would need to conform. Once this was established, DCC considered the cost of setting up and managing a service internally but decided it was not feasible. It was then decided that a social economy partner would bring additional benefits to the project. DCC undertook a procurement exercise in 2011 to identify a social enterprise partner that could deliver the service required. This was a lengthy process but resulted in DCC agreeing to partner with the Resource Centre Derry. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is currently being prepared setting out the roles and responsibilities of both parties with regard to the project. DCC was keen for the partner to be a social enterprise and they understand there are many additional non-monetary benefits to working with such an organisation, beyond diversion of waste. The Resource Centre was set up in 1973 and employs 66 people in initiatives such as SureStart, debt advice, meals on wheels and the management of a charity shop selling predominantly clothing and furniture. They are also a sub-contractor for the Government Steps to Work programme. The reuse centre will support the Resource Centres overall aims. It will help deliver objectives within the Derry Regeneration Plan. Training of young people and the long term unemployed is a key objective, therefore the Resource Centre has developed a skills escalator. Trainees will identify the level of qualification they aspire to obtain, and the Resource Centre will develop a two to three year training plan towards that goal. There will also be job opportunities for adults with learning difficulties and partnerships with local artists and young people to up-cycle furniture. The new social enterprise will also partner with Sustrans, a UK charity that encourages people to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys. It enables people to travel on foot, bike or public transport. The partnership will again focus on skills development and will work with school leavers to repair bicycles. The aim is for this project to tie into the Derry 2013 City of Culture initiative and provide bikes for hire around the city. Set Up DCC identified a premises owned by the council adjacent to a CA/RC suitable to house the reuse operation. DCC applied for and has received Rethink Waste funding in order to refit and prepare the building. The setup requirements include adding three phase electricity, dedicated reception, storage, and repair areas together with a retail outlet where the refurbished items will be offered for resale. The refit will ensure the building is fit for purpose for the repair of bicycles, furniture, toys and WEEE. The building is approximately 9,000 ft 2. 64

85 The Resource Centre is applying for additional funds, for example from the Department of Education and Learning and the Department of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The Resource Centre is also liaising with the local college of further education to recruit local tutors and managers. There are seven CA/RCs in Derry City and each will have a dedicated covered reuse area where site users can drop-off items they wish to have reused and that have reuse potential. Site staff will undertake some pre-checking of the items but it will be the responsibility of the Resource Centre to identify the items they want. The items will then be transported to the reuse warehouse for further appraisal. This may include broken items that have salvageable parts, as it is anticipated that some items may be beyond repair but have parts that can be used in the repair of similar items. A checking system will be put in place to identify items for Reuse, Refurbishment, Recycling or Re-product p (the 4Rs). DCC has estimated that the reuse activity may result in 1,500 tonnes of waste diverted from recycling and landfill. This is not a significant tonnage but there are greater benefits and this will be reflected in the reporting criteria. There will be a number of full time posts, training and volunteer placements created and items sold or given to individuals and families on low incomes. Lessons Learned As the system is not yet operational the lessons learned and advice to other local authorities is based on set-up. DCC recommends: That a partner is identified, preferably a social enterprise. This will ensure that community benefits are realised in addition to waste diversion and reuse. Talking to the regulators so as all parties appreciate and understand the project and in particular licensing and reporting requirements etc. Developing the SLA at an early stage with input from all stakeholders so that again participants understand their respective roles Case Study: Limavady Borough Council Working with the Green Shed Background Limavady Borough Council (LBC), through the Technical Services Department, provides financial support in the form of an annual grant to the Green Shed; part of the Limavady Community Development Initiative (LCDI). Services and Materials Accepted There are three services provided by the Green Shed: Sale of second hand goods, including clothing, books and furniture through a shop. Gardening and composting service; plants and compost are sold to the public. Collection of dry recyclables from primary schools. p Re-product refers to creating a new use for an item, for example a bath could be used for growing vegetables. The Resource Centre will work with a think tank of young people to develop other ideas to re-product waste 65

86 The Green Shed generates income from: the sale of goods, performing the dry recycling collections (income per school per month) and grants. It provides employment for the local community, in particular individuals with learning difficulties. At the present time LBC CA/RCs do not have facilities to accept items for reuse separately on-site. However LBC does refer callers booking household kerbside bulky waste services to the Green Shed where the caller indicates the item is in a useable condition. The Green Shed will collect free of charge, whereas the Council service incurs a charge. LBC does not pay the Green Shed to perform the collection, nor does it pay recycling/reuse credits. LBC does not record the number of callers referred to the Green Shed nor do they measure the tonnage or number of items collected. Future Plans LBC would like to investigate possibilities of segregating reusable items on-site at their CA/RC however at present there is no suitable container. Issues around access to any proposed container and servicing by a third party would also have to be resolved as part of this process Case Study: Antrim Borough Council On-site Segregation for Off-site Resale Background Antrim Borough lies northwest of Belfast, bordering the north and east of Lough Neagh. There is a population of over 48,000 in an area of approximately 220 square miles. The population is relatively young, with nearly one third of residents aged years. The unemployment rate is lower than the average in Northern Ireland. Antrim Borough Council (ABC) first proposed a reuse initiative at a CA/RC approximately six months before the service began in July Initially the Council approached East Belfast Mission (EBM) directly to assess whether their idea of a bulky and CA/RC reuse collection was viable and to obtain an indication of costs and operational requirements. The Council ran a trial with EBM and then once established, launched a tender for long term running of the project. The council operates reuse schemes with 2 reuse organisations, WEEE items for reuse are contracted to Bryson Electrical Recycling and other reuse items are contracted to EBM. There are 3 CA/RCs in ABC. All of the centres have a separate reuse donation container in place onsite. The sites are open to the public Monday to Saturday between 9am and 6pm in winter (November to March) and 9am until 8pm in summer (April to October). 66

87 Materials Accepted All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study The following table shows the items that can and cannot be collected. Accepted Items Good, clean, soft furnishings (such as rugs, curtains, bedding) Toys and games (must be complete and have CE safety label) Bicycles (in working order) Bric-a-brac and household items (such as mirrors, pictures, glassware etc) Good quality furniture (good quality items from small pieces to 3 piece suites they do not need to have a Fire Retardant label) Natural wood items Mattresses Baby items i.e. prams, baths etc Unacceptable Items Clothing (as it is included in their CA/RC service contract) Electrical goods (service contract) Cycling/riding helmets Roller blades Any gas appliances Broken or incomplete items Laminate furniture Any item deemed unsafe Large electrical appliances (including cooling appliances and televisions) are collected by Bryson Electrical with whom EBM also work in partnership. Due to this contract between ABC and Bryson (and previously the collection by the Producer Compliance Scheme ERP), electrical items cannot be collected by EBM. Services The items collected for reuse are segregated at separate reuse/donation points and collected by EBM for resale. Items are refurbished where necessary and if it viable to do so. It is estimated that approximately 60 tonnes per annum is reused. On average, EBM collect over 1,300 kgs per week, cherry picking items that they believe can be reused or refurbished. Collections are performed weekly or more often if needed. It is understood that all items taken by EBM are reused; they take approximately 95% of all items that are segregated for reuse. EBM provide regular data reports to the Council regarding the tonnage of items collected and EBM s collection crew leave a docket outlining the items collected from each site for each collection day. There is a preference to collect items for reuse, with repairable items secondary. Site staff are on hand to help redirect appropriate items and all staff have been trained by EBM to recognise useful and acceptable materials. There have been no problems with flytipping or the public trying to deposit unsuitable items for reuse. ABC also allows EBM to collect items segregated from the household kerbside bulky waste collection. The Council performs the collection as normal (items must be outside the home) using an enclosed vehicle and any suitable items are stored at the Operational Services depot from where the collection vehicle operates. The same materials can be accepted by EBM via the bulky collection scheme as those detailed above for collection at the CA/RC. ABC has collected tonnage data and at present, the tonnage of reusable items is less than that collected at CA/RCs. The reuse service is promoted to residents through press releases and the Council website. The Council estimates that approximately 5% of site throughput is reuse; however they would like to increase awareness, participation and tonnages in the future via a reuse campaign. There has been 67

88 no verbal or written feedback from residents but it is understood the public is supportive because use of the service has been very good from the beginning. A reuse campaign will hopefully improve participation. Lessons Learned The reuse activity does not involve additional officer time. Feedback received from staff on-site has been positive and they do not believe it adds to their workload. The site staff are glad to see a project where materials that might otherwise be landfilled, are being reused instead. ABC decided to run the reuse service as a trial initially, which resulted in container hire costs. However, these costs were offset by the savings in landfill costs. When the Council decided to manage the service long term, funding was obtained from the DOENI Rethink Waste Fund for the purchase of containers. The Council has a good relationship with EBM and have visited the warehouse to view the reuse/refurbishment process and they are welcome to do so at any time. This will fulfil the Council s duty of care. The Council has not encountered any problems with working with EBM. This resource partner provides an efficient and professional service. As can be seen by the North Down case study, this scenario and indeed the relationship with EBM is replicable to other local authorities. The Council would recommend this partnership as a feasible mechanism for reuse, stating that it is a valuable project because of: Cost savings Meeting diversion targets Improved staff morale Opportunity to demonstrate civic leadership Positive message for the public Operating a trial offered a good opportunity to highlight any problems/concerns that might arise from the long term project. In the case of ABC, the process was very smooth and a good working relationship with EBM developed very quickly. EBM offer a reliable, efficient and professional service Case Study: North Down Reuse Scheme On-site Segregation for Off-site Resale Background There are two CA/RCs in North Down at Balloo and at Holywood. Only Balloo CA/RC currently has a reuse container on-site. Furniture, bicycles and mattresses are collected for reuse and are collected by East Belfast Mission (EBM). The proposal to introduce reuse on-site was first discussed in spring An application was submitted to the Rethink Waste fund, part of the Department of the Environment, for the purchase of a reuse container, which enabled the Council to progress the idea. This application was successful (the container was purchased using quotes obtained in January 2011) and the container was delivered in March

89 At the same time (March 2011), North Down Borough Council (NDBC) published a tender to identify a reuse partner, however no tender was awarded. The Council persevered with the idea and contacted a number of reuse organisations by telephone. The revised approach led to discussions and contract agreement with the EBM. The compliance scheme, ERP, approached Bryson Electrical directly. EBM began collecting in June 2011 and Bryson Electrical Recycling began collecting electrical items in August Materials Accepted The table below details the types of items they do and do not accept. Accept Bicycles Mattresses Household items and bric-a-brac e.g. mirrors, pictures, glassware Furniture good quality items including tables, chairs, 3 piece suites, desks Small electrical items lamps, radios Do Not Accept Cycling helmets Roller blades Washing machines and white goods Any gas powered items Broken or incomplete items Other prams, children's toys (complete and with CE safety label) Laminate furniture Any item not deemed safe Sofa beds* * Sofa beds are not accepted because there are too many parts to clean and re-upholster. The resource requirement to refurbish sofa beds is greater than the value that can be obtained. EBM can refurbish items which do not have the fire retardant label and can restore natural wood items. A separate area at the CA/RC is available for reusable cooling appliances and large domestic appliances. Bryson cherry picks items from this area. Televisions are not taken by Bryson as they are typically large CRT televisions for which there is little demand and poor resale value. EBM keeps a small stock of televisions but these are not collected from North Down. Services As well as items collected at the CA/RC, items collected through the council household kerbside bulky waste service are checked by council staff and segregated for reuse if deemed suitable. Residents are asked when making a booking if they are happy for the item to be reused. If they are, the item is taken to the CA/RC and stored in the reuse container for collection by EBM or Bryson. If residents do not want their item reused, it is recycled or landfilled. All items are collected from outside of the home using a flat bed lorry. No data regarding the tonnage of bulky waste items reused or the number of items is available. EBM visits once per week but usually take three van loads in that day. Bryson Electrical collects twice per week. Both organisations collect on a frequent basis, although the council can request additional collections if necessary. 69

90 EBM takes almost everything from the reuse container, any items that are not suitable are redirected to recycling/landfill skips at the CA/RC. This high removal rate is due to the site staff being well trained and learning more over time as to what can and cannot go in the container. EBM report data to NDBC regarding the details of the type and number of items removed per van load and a monthly report is also provided. The invoicing/weights are based on approved average weights. Tonnages have increased in recent months with promotion and advertising of the reuse container. On average, approximately tonnes per month are removed from the site by EBM for reuse. Not all items are immediately suitable for reuse. For items that need to be refurbished there is a range of different workshops operating depending on what work is required: Soft furniture steam cleaning, complete re-upholstering (those items which are not or cannot be proven to be fire retardant) Hard furniture sanding, varnishing, painting, repairing Mattresses are fixed and recovered Bicycles are completely repaired and made safe EBM cleans or refurbishes the items and then sells them in one of seven Re:Store shops. The closest Re:Store is in Newtownards where some items will go directly for resale. It is estimated that approximately 1.5% per annum of site throughput is reuse. As no significant communications activity was undertaken until spring 2012, it is anticipated that this figure will rise. Lessons Learned The relationship with reuse partners has generally been simple and straightforward. The exception was reporting issues at the beginning which were quickly resolved. EBM is very supportive and took part in an event for the Queens Jubilee which allowed them to showcase their work. Both EBM and Bryson are familiar with the requirements of the NIEA and have the appropriate paperwork for Waste Management Licensing and waste carriers. NDBC is aware that not all reuse organisations are as experienced: others have shown interest in developing reuse operations but do not have adequate resources. Now that the service is up and running, the reuse service requires very little time from officers. It is promoted by council staff through regular talks, adverts, editorials, site notice boards and on the website. Site staff responded well and the introduction of reuse has not added to their workload as residents are diverted to the reuse container as they would be to any part of the site. Site staff interact well with the staff from EBM and Bryson and accept reuse as part of their daily duties. At most, they assist with offloading and keep the container tidy so that they can maximise how much can be stored in the container. Feedback from the public is positive, general comments indicate that it is a good idea and people are happy to use the service. The reuse system has not resulted in additional costs to NDBC: the container and signage was paid for from Rethink Waste funding and no formal training costs have been incurred. Site costs have reduced as EBM does not charge for collection. EBM also works with Belfast City Council and Antrim Borough Council and it is understood that other local authorities are also considering a similar partnership. A reuse service could not be expanded within North Down; at the Holywood CA/RC as there is insufficient space for a container, although the Council would be willing to consider a service if such issues could be overcome. 70

91 The site has not suffered from flytipping as a result of the initiative. Occasionally residents wish to segregate their item for reuse but if it is an unaccepted item, for example child car seats and sofa beds, they will not be allowed to deposit it in the reuse area. Should a member of the public have a query on this matter site staff are on hand to explain the reasons why some items may not be acceptable for reuse. NDBC recommends this method and this partnership as a feasible reuse option. The main lesson learned from implementing this service is to ensure contract details are in place and agreed by both parties, this includes costs, number of collections, etc. Covered storage is important for non-electrical items (there is no covered container for electrical items) Demonstration study: Wicklow County Council and Reuse Organisation(s) Background Wicklow County Council (WCC) has several reuse initiatives at their 5 CA/RCs and agreed to participate in a pilot bulky waste reuse study which was to take place during the timeframe of the overall study. The Bray CA/RC had been selected as the site of choice as it has indoor space to accept and store items. Ultimately it was not possible to start the reuse initiative at Bray CA/RC, which is owned and operated by WCC, within the timeframe of this project for a number of reasons to be explained below. Materials of Interest The initial plan when the pilot was agreed was for Bray CA/RC to start accepting furniture for reuse in order to pass it to one or more reuse organisations. Reasons behind the Pilot not Progressing within the Project Timeframe The Bray CA/RC does not currently accept bulky waste. Therefore careful consideration had to be given to the likelihood of receiving items that are not suitable for reuse, where the items would in fact be deemed waste, and would require authorisation as per waste legislation requirements. This and the potential for illegal dumping at the entrance gate, which is an issue at this site, were factors against the pilot progressing during the course of the bulky waste reuse study. Bray CA/RC has available indoor space to accept reuse items, however during the pilot period there was a temporary situation where there was no space for vehicles to unload or collect large items from the building. There were also staff shortages during the proposed pilot period. Following the exploration of working with a reuse organisation partner, WCC decided that the most appropriate reuse option for their education and awareness remit would be to carry out the reuse activity on-site at the Bray CA/RC; in order to retain the reuse activity and products within the local community. This option will take longer to implement as the feasibility of setting up an on-site reuse shed and shop at the Bray CA/RC must be investigated; and the establishment of on-site reuse and sales is a more complex activity. Future Plans It is proposed to accept furniture indoors for direct reuse and furniture for revamping for reuse; and to establish a paint reuse initiative on-site at Bray CA/RC. This would occur only after a full feasibility study of the long term sustainability of these potential initiatives has been carried out. The exact details of the proposed reuse initiatives are evolving as the Awareness and Education Officer for WCC examines the best option for Bray CA/RC. 71

92 10 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study 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 CA/RCs is practical. The objective of this work was to: Review the possibility of developing covered, branded drop off points at CA/RC sites for the reuse of bulky items. Involve reuse organisations in the regular servicing of these reuse points at CA/RC sites. Improve the sales of (refurbished) reused items. The target items under examination in the study were: Furniture Large EEE (e.g. fridges, washing machines) and other EEE Textiles Books, toys/games, bicycles 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 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS The conclusion of this feasibility study is that there is an opportunity to increase the reuse of bulky waste items delivered to CA/RCs on the island of Ireland. Information gathered from; the literature review, surveys of the CA/RC and reuse sectors, stakeholder engagement meetings, quantity estimations, legislative review and the demonstration study and case studies support an all-island reuse initiative. There are some challenges and support will be required but the overall finding is positive Literature Review A literature review of reports, research projects and academic papers relevant to bulky waste management in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) was carried out. In summary, the review showed that the benefits of reuse are environmental, economic and social, and have a wider influence than diverting an item from landfill. Reuse rates at CA/RCs could be increased significantly through the development of dedicated reuse facilities, supported by clear and effective communications campaigns. Providing clear and readily available information about the bulky waste reuse service is key to the success of any programme. There are a range of options for developing bulky waste reuse systems at CA/RCs. The most common system observed, involves working (directly or indirectly) with local reuse organisations to provide either collection, refurbishment or distribution functions. Local reuse organisations play a vital role in the bulky waste reuse sector. CA/RC operators can manage reuse initiatives themselves, however it 72

93 may not be as successful because of a lack of retail expertise (which charities bring) and a lack of brand loyalty. It is believed that residents are more likely to donate and purchase from a reuse facility with an obvious charity partner (reuse organisation) they can empathise with than simply the CA/RC operator or council. Whichever reuse system is chosen, it should include: clear information at the site, sufficient and wellinformed staff, a suitable donation point and storage area and careful management and monitoring. Reuse markets will also have to be identified to ensure that the demand for items meets the supply. The sustainability of any reuse service will be dependent on the financial arrangements in place. It may be necessary for contracts or service level arrangements to be in place and for there to be security of income to small reuse organisations. The reuse of bulky items (donations and purchasing) can be encouraged through communications campaigns the aim of which should be to improve the image and experience of reuse, and to make bulky waste reuse more normal behaviour. Bulky waste reuse activity is unlikely to divert significant tonnage of waste from landfill. Figures from UK CA/RCs suggest that 1-2% of site throughput is reuse, even at sites with very successful reuse systems. However there are many additional benefits to the local authority and community including provision of employment and training opportunities for long-term unemployed and vulnerable adults, volunteer opportunities and provision of low cost goods Opinions of CA/RCs and Reuse Organisations Surveys of CA/RCs and reuse organisations in Northern Ireland were conducted in 2008/9 and the exercise was repeated in the Republic of Ireland in Stakeholder consultation meetings were held to initiate discussion. There is significant interest from both sectors in reuse partnerships for bulky waste. Of the 108 CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland, 64 responded to the survey, and of those, 43 CA/RCs report acceptance of bulky waste materials. More than half of respondents to the CA/RC survey in the Republic of Ireland were interested in partaking in a reuse trial. The 85 CA/RCs in Northern Ireland are operated by local authorities, all of whom accept bulky waste materials at their CA/RCs. A survey of local authorities was conducted for the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review. The survey showed support among local authority officers for initiating or expanding reuse schemes at CA/RCs. Of the 26 NI authorities surveyed, 23 participated in the survey. The survey identified 9 Councils (operating 36 CA/RCs) as having scope for reuse activities and 6 Councils (operating 21 CA/RCs) with potential for reuse activities but with some important barriers to be overcome. At that time, there were only 4 Councils (operating 17 CA/RCs) where the introduction or expansion of reuse activities was considered unlikely to be possible at the time. There were 3 Councils who already had reuse initiatives in place. As the Northern Ireland case studies in Section 9.3 show, since the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review, a number of local authorities have introduced a reuse initiative. Several other local authorities have worked with WRAP to identify reuse options at their CA/RCs in recent years. Storage of bulky waste reuse items at the CA/RC with off-site distribution to reuse organisations was the most popular reuse option selected by survey participants in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Most of the CA/RCs currently store materials outdoors but would have to provide indoor or covered space to facilitate reuse. Therefore one of the key factors for CA/RC involvement is whether they have 73

94 space on-site to provide indoor or covered storage space. It should be noted that the footprint of a shipping container is just 14 m 2 or 28 m 2 (standard 20 ft or 40 ft sizes) with additional space needed to load and unload bulky waste reuse items. There are approximately 8 C&SES reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland and more than 200 charity shops, 8 of which 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. There are also many commercial reuse organisations on the island of Ireland including commercial second hand furniture shops, car boot sales, websites for the sale of second hand goods, and popular websites for free reuse such as FreeTrade Ireland, Freecycle and Freegle groups. The findings from the survey of reuse organisations in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were very similar. All of the reuse organisations have the capacity and demand to accept more items. The majority of organisations are clustered around Dublin and Belfast but there is a better geographical spread of charity shops. All are aware of the need to run the organisation professionally along business lines. There are organisations operating in other areas, for example the Resource Centre in Derry. This organisation already has cross-border initiatives and in future may be in a position to expand their reuse operations Bulky Waste Reuse An assessment of bulky waste arisings on the island of Ireland was carried out. It is estimated that there was approximately 46,000 tonnes of bulky waste collected at CA/RCs in Northern Ireland in their reporting year 2010/2011 and approximately 47,000 tonnes of bulky waste collected at CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland in A reusability assessment was carried out on the above estimates of bulky waste suggesting that 32% of the total bulky waste collected at CA/RCs is reusable. This equates to just under 30,000 tonnes on the island of Ireland or over 1.2 million potentially reusable bulky items. The reuse organisations on the island of Ireland have both the capacity and demand for more reuse items namely furniture, white goods and textiles. There is a barrier to the reuse of white goods in the Republic of Ireland due to the fact that the local authorities do not own WEEE that is delivered to their CA/RCs and are prevented from transferring it to reuse organisations by the current regulatory system. This regulatory system is undergoing a review process as the new WEEE Directive sets out new provisions to facilitate the access for personnel from reuse centres to WEEE collection points. Similar barriers exist in Northern Ireland; however the Northern Ireland Producer Compliance Scheme is supportive of local authority and reuse organisation activities Legal Framework A review of the legal framework was carried out in the context of the preferred reuse option, Scenario 3b: collection of bulky waste items for reuse at CA/RCs for off-site distribution to reuse organisations. Items for reuse would be handled separately to waste items and passed to reuse organisations with which the CA/RC has a formal relationship. There are two activities: reuse and preparing for reuse under waste legislation. 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. Therefore a reuse activity is not subject to any waste authorisations, a reuse item can move like any other product. A preparing for reuse activity is subject to authorisation as a waste activity. 74

95 CA/RCs in the Republic of Ireland are subject to Certificates of Registration/Registration Certificates, Waste Facility Permit or Waste Licence depending on their scale and ownership. Carefully setting aside segregated items intended for reuse at a CA/RC in the Republic of Ireland is permitted under each of these authorisations. Reuse organisations preparing items for reuse are carrying out a waste activity and therefore require authorisation. The appropriate authorisation in the Republic of Ireland for this is a Waste Facility Permit or a Waste Licence. CA/RCs in Northern Ireland are subject to a Waste Management Licence. A minor modification to the licence may be required to authorise reuse, for example the addition of the storage container. Reuse organisations preparing items for reuse require a Waste Management Licence, unless they qualify for a simple or a complex waste licensing exemption. In the case where a reuse organisation already has a Waste Management Licence and wishes to carry out preparation for reuse, modifications to the licence will be required unless the site is already authorised to accept bulky waste. Further clarity is required on the extent of the modifications that may be required. Any person moving waste in the Republic of Ireland is required to hold a Waste Collection Permit. There is a list of excepted circumstances where a Waste Collection Permit is not required, which should apply to most reuse organisation vehicles. Any person moving waste in Northern Ireland is required to register with the NIEA under the Controlled Waste Regulations. There is a Lower Tier of registration which is applicable to charities and voluntary organisations. Shipment of waste across the border is subject to Europe wide regulations, the Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations in the Republic of Ireland and the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations in Northern Ireland. The Regulations in both jurisdictions are complex and would require reuse organisations to have transfrontier shipment (TFS) authorisation to move items for repair or refurbishment across the border. This may be a barrier for small reuse organisations. Items that are suitable for direct reuse are not waste and not subject to waste legislation and not subject to waste authorisations or notifications. Therefore these items can move freely across jurisdiction borders. Shipment of WEEE across the border for reuse would in addition to a TFS, need to be accompanied by proof of working order for every item in the shipment or evidence that the equipment will be reused, repaired or refurbished RECOMMENDATIONS An all-island reuse initiative between CA/RCs and reuse organisations is feasible, however it would need: A Reuse Protocol Reuse Training/Information Session Legislative Change (to address current authorisations, minimum thresholds and WEEE) Funding Reuse data is not recorded by the EPA in the Republic of Ireland as it is not a waste activity. In terms of bulky waste, pre-owned and used EEE is reported in the EPA NWR. It is recommended that some formal system of recording reuse data, at CA/RCs and by organisations involved in reuse, be introduced to highlight its importance and to give credit to those organisations that are preventing waste. 75

96 The preferred option amongst CA/RC operators and reuse organisations is for CA/RCs to accept and segregate items for reuse and send them off-site to a reuse organisation. This is also the most cost effective start up option when both the CA/RC and reuse organisation already exist Develop a Reuse Protocol The results of the study show that it would be feasible to establish an all island approach to bulky waste management in order to increase reuse opportunities from CA/RCs. There is a significant level of interest in the proposed scheme. Many CA/RCs expressed an interest in reuse and all of the reuse organisations are interested. One of the conclusions of the stakeholder engagement meeting is 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. It would 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. 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 core topics such as selecting a reuse partner and partnership agreements, target items, resource requirements including costs, infrastructure, staff and authorisations, managing reuse such as data recording, communications, education and awareness, training and health and safety. A practical do s and don t section with issues commonly encountered and how to overcome these issues would also be of value. The general protocol could be complemented with appendable item/material specific guidelines which can be added to over time. The first draft for example could contain guidelines for furniture, bicycles, textiles, books etc. A WEEE guideline could be appended in time. It is recommended that a campaign pack be developed including templates for signage, leaflets, websites etc. 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 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. There may be synergy with the content of the WRAP course mentioned in Section 6.2. This 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. 76

97 Legislative Change All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study As mentioned in Section , 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: Certificates of Registration (ROI) Waste Facility Permits (ROI) Waste Licences (ROI) Waste Management Licences (NI) It is recommended that the requirement for reuse organisations that are preparing items for reuse to be authorised be clarified and that consideration be given to introducing 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. q 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 Funding The benefits of reuse are environmental, economic and social and have a wider influence than diverting an item from landfill. Some of the benefits are: Contribution to national and local authority objectives and targets for waste Reduced carbon emissions and environmental impact from resource use Improved local environment Increased awareness and beneficial changes in behaviour Potential avoided collection cost Avoided disposal and landfill tax costs Training, up-skilling and employment opportunities for those having difficulties accessing the employment market, in particular through community based Social Enterprise High employment ratio per tonne of material reused Strengthening the local economy and potential savings to households q Subsequent to the stakeholder engagement meeting, the Recast of the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU was published stating that the Commission shall, not later than 14 February 2013, request the European standardisation organisations to develop European standards for the treatment, including recovery, recycling and preparing for reuse, of WEEE. WRAP has recently commenced the process to set up a UK reuse standard for all products. 77

98 Reuse therefore cannot be measured by economics alone. In recent years, CA/RCs have had to carefully consider the costs of accepting a range of materials. It is unlikely that a reuse initiative at a CA/RC will result in a net monetary gain for the operator. However local authorities may believe it is worthwhile funding reuse activity due to the wider economic and social benefits. The 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 Northern Ireland the Rethink Waste fund has been important in helping some local authorities set up reuse initiatives and in the Republic of Ireland, employment and training funding has been important to the C&SES. 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 with interdepartmental colleagues to identify where funding could be pooled in order to support initiatives that have mutual cross-departmental benefits. It is also recommended that housing authorities could explore the options available to them in terms of reuse in line with the council s existing policies on reuse/recycling etc. while also taking account of value for money (VFM) and health and safety issues. 78

99 APPENDIX A REUSE ORGANISATIONS

100 Table A1: Survey Responses from Reuse Organisations Operating in the Republic of Ireland All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Organisation Location Wastes and Tonnage Operations Interest in the Project Reuse it Warehouse in Cork and 3-6 tonnes WEEE Collections subcontracted. Potentially interested in taking items from CA sites. They would pay for it, online presence. Could 0.5 tonne furniture collect it and generate data. Items would have to be sorted at source. collect from elsewhere Small amounts of textiles, books, vintage items, They could provide training on suitability of items. Also expressed interest depending on value of the items. antiques and architectural items. 95% items accepted are reused. in the on-site shop idea. Plans to expand Currently seems to focus on commercial items. approached WEEE Ireland. Will repair and refurbish IT equipment. Expansion is limited by the amount of goods received. Cheeverstown 3 shops in Dublin and warehouse. Furniture, clothes, shoes, books, CDs, DVDs and gifts. Approximately 12 suites, 6 dining room sets, 1 tonne clothing is reused a week. Another 1.5 tonnes of clothing recycled per week. Reuse 99% of the items collected for reuse. Suites, hard furniture and office furniture sell best. Previously trained adults with mental disabilities. Collections are carried out by courier who uses a van. The collection is free for but a delivery fee is charged ( 20). The organisation doesn t carry out any refurbishment but does clean upholstery. The charity would be interested in developing a relationship with a CA site. They would be happy to accept donations and collect the items at own cost. The charity is looking to expand include wedding and formalwear in one of the shops and license the warehouse. The organisation would be interested in increasing turnover and taking part in the trial. Rediscovery Centre (Member of CRN) Dublin based project. 1 x furniture & bike workshop with small retail element 180 sqm 1 x fashion studio 50 sqm 1x materials storage 80sqm 1 x retail space/shop 50 sqm 1 x paint storage 42 sqm Furniture: 6.4 tonnes diverted from landfill, 5.75 tonnes sold/reused Textiles: 0.64 tonnes diverted from landfill Paint: 1.26 tonnes diverted from landfill, 0.76 tonnes reused (2011) Bikes: 1.2 tonnes (2011) 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 prepared for reuse through a number of processes including item disassembly, re-design and re-made as a new products. The centre carries out a range of repair and redesign services including clothing alteration, bike restoration. Good quality low cost furniture sells best locally. Visitors from outside of the area often buy the designer items. The organisation has a 5 day a week, Mon-Fri collection and delivery service which uses its own van and a member of staff. The collection and delivery covers mostly Dublin. It is free in the local area. Further out in the city centre or North of the city this would be charged at a rate of 20. The organisation is currently running on 90% of capacity but it would be looking to expand and increase their throughput. They are currently in partnership with two recycling centres (Estuary and Coolmine) in the Fingal County Council area. They collect reusable paint from their sites and also facilitate the return of unusable paint/tins. They are currently in discussions about expanding this to include furniture and bikes. They have a partnership with Rothar on the bike recycling project. The centre had a conversation with the local housing department but nothing has yet been agreed formally. The organisation would be interested in developing relationship with CA sites but would have to be able to screen all items prior to collection to ensure they are suitable for reuse. They would be looking for the council to share the disposal costs through the savings generated by their activity. The centre feels that they currently have enough supplies to meet their needs but are aware that they would need extra materials when they extend their projects. Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative (CCRI) Warehouse in Clondalkin, 1,700 sq foot. The organisation operates in the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare areas. The organisation handles around a tonne of WEEE a year. Around half a tonne is recycled as planters, storage units and other furniture. The organisation would be interested in expanding, especially the repurposing side of the business. They feel that there is spare capacity and the activities are limited by the amount of goods. CCRI is a community recycling business specialising in WEEE. The organisation has 2 vehicles carrying out door to door collections in conjunction with LA. They can operate up to 5 days a week but the demand is not usually that high. One off collection charges are based on location and socio economic status. The repurposed items are sold while the reuse items are donated. They offer free collection to resident and community groups. The organisation works with the CRN network and SDCC. The organisation would be interested in working with CA sites. They are interested in expanding the repurposing side of the business. The project could facilitate the increased reuse of large household appliances. A1

101 Table A.1 Continued All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Organisation Location Wastes and Tonnage Operations Interest in the Project Irish Cancer 3,000 sq ft shop in Ennis, Society shop County Clare. Ennis The quantities of materials reused are 4-5 suites a week and same amount of beds. Tables, chairs, bedside lockers around 2 van loads a week. Textiles sell about 2,500 garments a week. Books couple of hundred. The shop also sells ornaments, bric-a-brac and CDs. Furniture and clothes are best sellers in the shop. The collections are carried out 3 days a week, 2 day clothes collection and 1 day furniture collection in a transit van. The collection covers the area up to the bridge in Limerick and all of Clare and Galway. The organisation expressed interest in developing with a CA site. They would be willing to collect the items but would like to be able to choose what they take. The organisation although not involved in repair and refurbishment would welcome to sell such items. Busy Bees Furniture Recycling (part of Sunflower Recycling) 3 premises: Shamrock Terrace HQ (busy bees operates out of there), Refurbishment unit as well as shop/showroom; Another shop in centre of Dublin. The organisation collects 46 tonnes of furniture and paper/card a year. 90% of the furniture items get reused. A collection service operates 5 day a week and the organisation has got 6 vehicles at its disposal. The public is charged for both collection and delivery of the items. The organisation mainly collects from Dublin and around. The items are refurbished and often redesigned. They are in the process of acquiring premises for mattresses recycling. Would be interested in taking part in stakeholder meeting. Specifically requested. Would be interested in taking part of pilot. They are considering specialising in mattress and polystyrene recycling. Ideally they would like to manage a CA site and have a refurbishment unit alongside it. Rothar Bikes for Community They operate in Dublin from a small warehouse and have a shop where the refurbished bikes are sold. The organisation is currently expanding with a second shop being opened in City Centre (it s also a café). The organisation reuses around 1,000 bikes a year. The majority of the bikes are sold (70%) to individuals however around 10% are donated. Overall 80% of the bikes are reused with the remainder recycled. Mid range bikes at around 150 are bestsellers. The organisation focuses on bike refurbishment and recycling. It also offers bike maintenance and classes. The collection of bikes is offered for free 3 days per month and the organisation will collect in the greater Dublin area. Rothar would be interested in collecting bikes from CA sites both as a donation and for revenue. They would be also interested in setting up a shop on-site and running campaigns on the importance of reused materials for social enterprises and charitable organizations on-site. They would also be interested in being involved in communication campaign around the importance of reducing/reusing/recycling. Irish Cancer Society 19 shops across the Republic of Ireland. Textiles 2,080 tonnes, Books 98 tonnes, Furniture 61 tonnes, Household goods 208 tonnes, Bric-a-brac 12 tonnes are reused All items are sold in their shops which results in 80-90% of the good being reused. Their bestseller is clothes. The organisation operates door to door collections of textiles and furniture in Leinster, Munster, Connaught. The organisation would be interested in working with a local CA/RC site and would like to receive a donation of goods. They feel that they would have capacity to accept more materials and therefore would like to increase turnover. It steadily expands with 1 or 2 shops opening annually. Liberties Recycling 13,000 square ft factory unit with a 20,000 square ft yard. They also have a charity shop in Dublin. The organisation is in the process of opening a second charity shop. Textiles 2000 tonnes per annum Books 3 tonnes WEEE 1 tonne Bric-a-brac and soft toys, approx 4/5 tonnes per annum The majority of items are sold, although WEEE and books are given away. Around 65% of the goods are actually reused. The charity s markets include: Eastern Europe high quality used and new clothing; Africa high quality used clothing, shoes and linens; Our charity shop high quality used clothing and footwear, bric-a-brac, soft toys and books. The social enterprise specialises in providing training and development to rehabilitating addicts by textile reuse and recycling. They operate nationally contracting collections outside Dublin. In Dublin they use 2 vans and collect 7 days a week. The charity has got a partnership with Clondalkin Recycling (WEEE) and Dublin Central Mission (books). They also have clothes banks in LA sites and CA sites. The organisation lost contracts with some LAs as the services are contracted out to highest bidders. However they would be interested in renewing these relationships and possibly having shops on sites. They feel that LA s could reserve a meaningful proportion of their sites for social enterprises or allow social enterprises/charities access to CA s in recognition of the social benefits they generate for the community. Alternatively LA s need to include social gain or a social clause in their tender competitions. They could expand the workforce and increase funding for training and rehabilitation services if the material was available. A2

102 Table A.1 Continued All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Organisation Location Wastes and Tonnage Operations Interest in the Project Revamp 3r Located in a business park They turn around 40 tonnes of furniture a year The charity provides training opportunities for They would like to develop a partnership with a local CA site and would store on the outskirts of Longford. Low cost, good quality furniture is sold in their unemployed young people by cleaning, repairing welcome all donations. The organisation is keen to get into white goods (member of They are part of the shop to low cost families. or refurbishing furniture which are sold at their but first providing a training course that will provide trained staff for testing CRN) Employment, Development and Information Centre and shop. The project collects and delivers items for free and repair. have training centre, Monday to Friday. If the journey is long (but they revamp shop and revamp restoration unit. are keen to travel if the item is good quality) they would look for a contribution. Bryson Recycling 20,000 sq ft premises in Belfast including storage, reuse workshop, offices and showroom. Currently operate in Greater Belfast and mid- Ulster. 304 tonnes of WEEE, just over 5,000 units, 60-70% items collected are reused, Used to mostly sell to low income families but more and more people are looking for low cost appliances. The organisation collects and refurbishes electrical items such as washing machines, fridge freezers, dishwashers, cookers and tumble driers. They collect from retailers and council recycling centres but unfortunately do not have the capability to offer a door to door collection. A 7.5 tonne van is used 5 days per week. Deliveries are made 3-5 days per week for delivery charge. They are hoping to roll-out the collection service to all NI council areas. They work closely with the compliance scheme that has the contract to manage all Local Authority WEEE in NI and as such develop relationships with the local authorities and civic amenity sites. Also work with East Belfast Mission & Action Cancer, and sell products through their retail outlets. Not indicated they would be willing to work with local authorities, but they already do, so there may be scope for further discussion. Still poor supply of WEEE driven by poor retail sales of new products. Would consider purchasing graded appliances. Oxfam Across the island of Ireland 50 retail outlets, two offices and warehouse. Furniture = 100 tonnes P.A Electricals = 50 tonnes P.A Textiles = 400 tonnes P.A Books = 150 tonnes P.A Bric-a-brac = 75 tonnes P.A Oxfam covers most of the island where goods are sold in their charity shops. Clothes are best sellers, Around 65% of items are reused. The collections and deliveries are made 5/6 days a week (from bring banks instead of the public). They charge for deliveries of furniture. The organisation has already got a relationship with CA/RCs but they are interested in new opportunities as they would be keen to increase throughput. They consider they are limited by the amount of goods they receive and would like greater access to furniture, electrical, white goods, textiles and books. A3

103 Table A.2: Northern Ireland Reuse Organisations All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Furniture Reuse Organisation Vehicles Premises Locations Opening Hours East Belfast Mission, Belfast (Re:Store) The Green Shed, Limavady (Refurnish) Voluntary Service Lisburn (RECO) Bryson Recycling Ltd, Belfast (Refer Table A.1 above) 80/20 Recycling Ltd, Newry 4 x 3.5 t Total of 36,000 square feet 3 x 7.5 t 1 x 4.5 t 1 x 3.5 t (8 premises from 800-1,500 sq ft) Total of 20,500 sq ft (4 premises from 4,000-6,500 sq ft) 2 x 3.5 t Total of 16,500 sq ft (3 premises: 10,000 sq ft workshop + 2 x 2,500 sq ft shops) 2 x 3.5 t Total of 20,000 sq ft (6,000 sq ft workshop, 5,000 sq ft warehouse and remainder office and shop) Belfast office 5 Belfast shops Antrim shop Bangor shop Larne shop Newtownards shop Limavady office/workshop Limavady shop Coleraine shop Lisburn office/workshop Lisburn shop Newtownards shop Belfast office/workshop, warehouse and shop 1 x 3.5 t Total of 5,000 sq ft Newry office/workshop/shop TOTAL 14 Total of 98,000 sq ft Mon-Sat 9-5 (Office Mon-Fri 9-5) Mon-Fri Sat (Office Mon-Fri 9-5) Lisburn Mon-Sat 10-4 Ards Mon-Sat (Office/workshop Mon-Thurs 9-5 & Fri 9-2) Mon-Fri 9-5 Mon-Fri 9-5 Note: Data collected from surveys of Northern Ireland reuse organisations for the Northern Ireland Bulky Waste Review (WRAP 2010) A4

104 Table A.2.1 Northern Ireland Charity Shops All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Apart from the outlets of the FRO discussed in Table A2 there are just five charity shops listed by the Association of Charity Shops (ACS) that deal in furniture and electrical items. These are: British Red Cross Church Street Ballymena County Antrim Northern Ireland, BT43 6DD PDSA 21 Market Place Lisburn County Antrim Northern Ireland, BT28 1AN Springfield Charitable Association Ltd. 116 Springfield Road Ballymagarry Belfast County Antrim, BT12 7AE Barnado s Main Street Ballymoney County Antrim Northern Ireland, BT53 6AN Barnado s 18a High Street Carrickfergus County Antrim Northern Ireland, BT38 7AF Table A.2.2: Northern Ireland Commercial Furniture Shops An internet search revealed the existence of the following commercial furniture shops in Northern Ireland: Second Time Around Furnishings 97 Shanreagh Park Limavady Campbell's Auction Rooms 3 Drum Road Cookstown BT80 G Whyte 68 Killyleagh Street Crossgar BT30 9DQ Strand Furniture Store 76 Strand Road Londonderry BT48 7AJ Brendan's Store 18a Henry Street Harryville Ballymena BT42 3AH Francis Murphy 33 Clarmont Avenue Castlewellan County Down BT31 9BX Arcade 1 Castle Arcade Castle St Lisburn BT27 4XB 2nd Time Around 12a Bridge Street Banbridge County Down BT32 3JS Nik Nak 55 Oughley Road Carryduff BT24 7DB Quality Used Furniture 15 Graham Gardens Lisburn BT28 1XE A5

105 APPENDIX B COST MODEL FOR SCENARIO 2a

106 Scenario 2a: Items Segregated and Sold On-site by Site Operator or a Third Party This option has high reuse potential but needs to be well managed to reach its full potential. This option is more likely to be preferred on sites that have a throughput of 5,000 tonnes or more, as the sales from the shop on-site can fund the running costs and any additional staff required to manage the shop. This will also minimise the impact on existing site staff as only a small amount of time will be needed for staff to encourage site users to donate to the shop. For example, a site in Kings Lynn, Norfolk operates to this model. A case study is available on the WRAP website. At this site, capital investment of 20,000 ( 25,000) was needed for the CA/RC building, fixtures and fittings. Over a 3 year period the reuse shop on-site is now self sustaining. Two 20 ft shipping containers, costing 5,500 ( 6,875) each, were placed on four other CA/RCs as a better value for money option. Another example is Burton Farm HWRC (CA/RC) in Warwickshire it has a 1,500 sq. feet purpose built shed with a roller shutter door which remains open during trading hours. The building cost approximately 26,000 ( 32,500). Within the building, there is a display area with items for sale, small workshop area for electrical testing and small office. It is arranged with smaller items displayed on racks and shelves and larger furniture items in rows and aisles. Some forecourt area is also used to display goods. Scenario 2a: Principal Costs In this option, there would be costs associated with the provision of a reuse shed and retail premises, presuming both were not already available. There would also be operational costs. The requirements for the reuse shed would be dependent on the nature of repair work to be undertaken from simple cleaning and repairs to furniture restoration or electrical repairs. The requirement for equipment for repairs and restoration depends on whether the CA/RC operator wishes to take on that role or partner with a reuse organisation to run operations. The reuse shed could be a purpose built building, the conversion of existing indoor space or a shipping container or porta-cabin. The following tables indicate the type of costs that will be incurred when setting up an on-site reuse system. B1

107 Table B.1: Principal Costs for CA/RC Associated with Scenario 2a All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Excluding Refurbishment: Capital Costs Reuse Shed Fixtures & Fittings Capital ( / ) Writeoff period (Years) Annualised (Revenue Equivalent) Euro ( ) Annualised (Revenue Equivalent) Sterling ( ) Utilities installation: electrical* 3,750/ 3, Utilities installation: plumbing* 1,875/ 1, Utilities installation: heating* 5,000/ 4, Ventilation 1,875/ 1, Anti-slip flooring 3,125/ 2, Storage facilities 2,500/ 2, Fire & security alarm system* 2,500/ 2, Professional/legal fees 1,875/ 1, Miscellaneous fixtures & fittings 625/ Subtotal Reuse Shed Fix & Fit 23,125/ 18,500 2,483 1,986 Reuse Shed Tools & Equipment** Weighing equipment 2,500/ 2, Health & Safety equipment 1,250/ 1, IT 1,875/ 1, Subtotal Reuse Shed Tools & Equipment 5,625/ 4, Vehicle: 3.5 t van with tail lift^ 33,125/ 26, ,733 3,786 Retail Premises Fixtures & Fittings and Equipment Since this would be a rented premises, assumed most Fixtures and Fittings are installed Signage 3,125/ 2, Lighting 2,500/ 2, Fire & security alarm system 2,500/ 2, IT & cash register 1,875/ 1, Miscellaneous fixtures & fittings and equipment Subtotal Retail Premises Fix & Fit and Equipment 3,125/ 2, ,125/ 10,500 1,768 1,414 Total Capital Costs 75,000/ 60,000 9,839 7,871 *Will depend on the size of the building/shed to be used. If only a small scale operation using shipping containers for storage, these costs will not be needed **It is anticipated that these costs will not be incurred if an existing reuse organisation is involved in the service and retails the items at their premises that have been segregated at the CA/RC. If on-site sales occur, these costs will need to be taken into account ^It is unlikely that the van would be needed as the reuse organisation is likely to provide one, but there may be a need to share costs B2

108 Table B.2: Operating Costs for Reuse Organisations at CA/RC All Island Bulky Waste Reuse Best Practice Management Feasibility Study Rent of Premises Rent of Reuse Shed, 5,000 sq ft, in kind 0 0 Rent of Retail Premises, 3,000 sq 6.25/ 5/sq ft pa 18,750 15,000 Subtotal Rent of Premises 18,750 15,000 Staffing Costs Reuse Project Manager 50% utilisation 16,250 13,000 Van Driver/Workshop Supervisor 25,000 20,000 Van Loader/Workshop Assistant, trainee 0 0 Retail Assistant 20,000 16,000 Total staffing costs 61,250 49,000 Vehicle Maintenance and Running Costs Vehicle Maintenance 1,250 1,000 Vehicle Tax/Insurance 3,125 2,500 Fuel 2,500 2,000 Subtotal Vehicle Maintenance and Running Costs 6,875 5,500 Light & Heat, Utilities, etc 11,250 9,000 Recruitment (Advertising & Administration) 1,250 1,000 Marketing & Publicity 6,250 5,000 Total Operating Costs 105,625 84,500 B3

109 APPENDIX C TARGETS SET OUT IN THE RECAST OF THE WEEE DIRECTIVE 2012/19/EU

110 The minimum targets applicable by category from 13 August 2012 until 14 August 2015 are for recovery and recycling. The minimum targets applicable by category from 15 August 2015 until 14 August 2018 are: a) for WEEE falling within category 1 (large household appliances) or 10 (automatic dispensers): - 85% shall be recovered, and - 80% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; b) for WEEE falling within category 3 (IT and telecommunications equipment) or 4 (consumer equipment and photovoltaic panels): - 80% shall be recovered, and - 70% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; c) for WEEE falling within category 2 (small household appliances), 5 (lighting), 6 (electrical and electronic tools), 7 (toys, leisure and sports equipment), 8 (medical devices) or 9 (monitoring and control instruments): - 75% shall be recovered, and - 55% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; The minimum targets applicable by category from 15 August 2018 are: a) for WEEE falling within category 1 or 4 of Annex III, - 85% shall be recovered, and - 80% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; b) for WEEE falling within category 2 of Annex III, - 80% shall be recovered, and - 70% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; c) for WEEE falling within category 5 or 6 of Annex III, - 75% shall be recovered, and - 55% shall be prepared for re-use and recycled; d) for WEEE falling within category 3 of Annex III, 80% shall be recycled. C1

111 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2012) National Waste Report Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2013) National Waste Report Study into the re-use potential of household bulky waste, WRAP 2012 ( 4 Northern Ireland Environmental Statistics Report, Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, January Number of households from Central Statistics Office Ireland: seholds+by+size&statisticalproduct=db_cn 6 The value of re-using household waste electrical and electronic items, WRAP Haase & Pratschke (May 2008). New Measures of Deprivation in the Republic of Ireland. An Intertemporal and Spatial Analysis of data from the Census of Population, 1991, 1996, 2002 and Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) 2010, Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency. 9 Study into consumer second-hand shopping behaviour to identify the re-use displacement effect, WRAP Guidance on the interpretation of key provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, EU Commission, June 2012, 11 Guidance Manual Waste Collection Permit Regulations, EPA Guidance Document for the Shipment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, National TFS Office, Dublin City Council, _Shipment_of_WEEE_May_2010_website.pdf 13 A guide to when electrical and electronic equipment is considered waste and the controls that apply, Environment Agency, Summary Report - Reuse of bulky waste in Northern Ireland: opportunities for growth.

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