An alternative waste-management strategy based chiefly on recycling and "next-generation technologies" was unveiled by the Labour Party in Dublin yesterday.
Described as a radical approach to the Republic's waste crisis, the strategy envisages the creation of a national waste-management agency funded by the Exchequer, with no charges for householders who segregate their waste.
Introducing it, the Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, was critical of the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, who he said proposed five regional incinerators and landfill as a solution to the problem.
The party spokesman for the environment, Mr Eamon Gilmore, was also critical of the Minister, who he said had left implementation of the incinerators and landfill sites to the local and regional authorities "who are transfixed by the problem".
The main difference from the Government's strategy was that the Labour Party plan offered the opportunity "to skip a generation in avoiding the mistakes of old-style incinerators" which, he said, presented "well-documented risks to human health and the environment".
While the strategy would not rule out thermal treatment of residual waste after segregation, the new generation of technologies, such as the Herhoff segregation method developed in Germany and the molten metal technologies method developed in the US, offered a sustainable solution.
However, he added these technologies were still very new and in the short term there must be a major shift in emphasis, from the regional incinerators as planned to waste minimisation, re-use, reduction and recycling.
The plan includes mandatory recycling of all builders' rubble which accounts for 50 per cent of landfill deposits, he said, and mandatory re-use of components in the motor industry.
For the householder, the strategy would involve returning packaging to producers or retailers, who would be obliged to accept it; an end to one-use plastic shopping bags, which would be banned; and the composting of vegetable waste. Cans and bottles would be segregated and sent for recycling.
A "new industry" would be created to handle the recycling elements of the plan, he said. However, in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle, those who did not reduce, re-use and segregate would be required to pay a service charge.
Mr Gilmore said it would be possible using new bin lorries to determine the ownership and content of bins and impose charges accordingly.
At £2,165 million the alternative strategy is considerably more expensive than the £640 million investment in the National Development Plan. Ongoing costs of the plan were put at £120 million per year. But the Labour Party does not intend that the costs of the plan should be carried by the householder and no charges would be imposed other than those for non-compliance.
The strategy is designed to manage the Republic's waste for the next 25 to 50 years and the party is initiating discussions with interested parties such as service providers and the local authorities.
The Labour Party claims it is the first party to spell out how ambitious recycling targets in regional waste management plans would be achieved. It says most people opposed to incineration and landfill say recycling, minimisation and use is the solution. The party is prepared to put the strategy before the people in the next election, according to Mr Gilmore.
