Currently, there are five different recycling systems in Northern Ireland across the 11 different local authorities.
Bryson has instead unveiled a proposal based on sourced segregated recycling at the kerbside, which it says will help boost the quality of material and ensure 80% of material is processed on the island of Ireland, up from 36% at the moment.
Under Bryson’s proposals, every council in Northern Ireland would roll out a separate collection of plastics, glass, paper, cans and textiles on a weekly basis.
This would be done through a ‘wheelie box system’ used widely in Wales.
DAERA would also need to enforce this, ensuring councils have separate collections, Bryson said.
The company also said a verified reporting system made available to the public will provide the required transparency on where recyclables end up.
Quality
Bryson explained the higher quality delivered through this system would mean the materials could be sent to more domestic markets.
It listed companies such examples such as Huhtamaki, Cherry Pipes and Encirc who “transform materials into new products for well-known brands such as McDonalds, Skea, Bushmills and Baileys”.
Cherry Pipes in Dungannon converts plastic bottles collected into pipes for the agricultural, civil engineering and sportsfield sectors. Glass is sent to Encirc in Fermanagh where they turn the glass into bottles for food and drinks companies for well-known brands such as Bushmills and Baileys.
Huhtamaki uses 100% recycled paper and card to manufacture egg boxes for retailers such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer’s and cup carriers for brands such as McDonalds & Starbucks.
The company said the proposals would deliver savings of £12 million to local authorities every year.
I am keen to implement proposals which will improve the quality of recycling
- Edwin Poots, DAERA
Visit
Mr Poots visited the MRF on Wednesday (9 February), and was taken on a tour around the plant and discussed the proposals.
Speaking after the visit, he said: “New recycling targets under the Circular Economy Package have been set at 65% by 2035, but I would like to see Northern Ireland being even more ambitious and achieving a higher recycling rate by an earlier date.
“I believe it is important to realise the value of recycling to the local economy as well as delivering important environmental benefits. That is why I am keen to develop and implement proposals which will improve both the quality and quantity of recycling in Northern Ireland”.
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