Waste Management Hierarchy

Source: www.fermanagh.gov.uk

Recognition of these issues has resulted in waste management being identified as a significant area of concern within the European Union. This has led to the adoption of a range of policy and legislative measures at a European and national level, which are set to transform waste management practices radically in the coming years.

The overall objective of these measures is to reduce the reliance on landfill as the primary means of managing wastes, and to promote reduction at source, recycling and recovery. This is illustrated in the Waste Management Hierarchy.

Fundamental to achieving these policy objectives are recognition and acceptance by all sections of society, as producers of waste, of their responsibility to support and adopt more sustainable waste management practices, both at home and at work. It is implicit therefore that the perception of waste as an unwanted but necessary by-product will need to change, with recognition of its potential as a resource.

This will take time, but will be driven by a range of measures that include for example the EU Waste Framework Directive, the Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland, and the Landfill Directive. In parallel, other drivers such as the Landfill Tax and the Aggregates Levy will increasingly impact on the prevailing economic conditions, influencing decisions, attitudes and behaviour.

This Waste Management Plan therefore has been prepared to provide the first steps in an ongoing process for the development and implementation of sustainable waste management practices. It will evolve over time, and offers the potential not only to reduce the environmental impacts associated with current waste management practices, but also to contribute to sustainable economic development.