Ireland unlikely to meet landfill targets

A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland has revealed that the country is unlikely to meet its EU targets for carbon emissions and waste.

Despite current environmental legislation, which is becoming increasing stringent, ERSI say that the amount of waste sent to landfill and incineration is more likely to increase than decrease.

Currently 80% of waste in Ireland is sent to landfill. This is compared to around 50% in Germany, and just 40% in the Netherlands.

The amount of waste produced in Ireland is expected to increase as the population gets richer.

Furthermore, if current carbon emission trends continue, emissions in 2020 will be 30% higher than the EU target.