Diverting Biodegradable Waste from Landfill

The CCC recommended a ban on key biodegradable wastes, across municipal and non-municipal sectors and stated that such a ban would require waste prevention, re-use and recycling efforts (including AD and composting) to be significantly ramped-up and should not be met by increased waste exports or a significant increase in EfW emissions.

The Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997 (WCLO) introduced a 10% cap on the amount of waste going to landfill by 2035 and the Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 states that DAERA’s waste management plan must contain measures to encourage the recycling, including composting and digestion, of bio-waste.

Type of Change

• Non-statutory (subject to consultation and necessary approvals)

Affected Stakeholders

• Householders, businesses, or organisations that produce biodegradable waste.
• Local Authorities/Councils & Waste Management Groups
• Landfill site operators
• Waste processors

Changes

• The CCC estimated that a ban would decrease the tonnage of biogenic material entering landfill by at least 85% by 2025 from 2018 levels across the UK. For Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste in Northern Ireland, this would mean a reduction to approx. 23 kilotonnes (kt) per year by the end of 2025.
• Landfill Tax, the NILAS scheme, and the Food Waste (NI) 2015 Regulations have contributed to significant reductions in the landfill of Biodegradable Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste in Northern Ireland. The latest published 12 month rolling figures (up to September 2024) show this figure has reduced to 88 kt, from 252 kt in 2012/13
• The latest published 12 month rolling figures (up to September 2024) also show that LAC municipal waste sent to landfill has reduced to 16.8 % of total LAC municipal waste arisings against the target of 10% by 2035 with bio waste accounting for 8.71% of this.

Status

• In July 2023 DAERA established a Biodegradable Waste to Landfill Stakeholder Advisory Group to work alongside WRAP in conducting a feasibility study.  Throughout 2023, a series of meetings were held with key stakeholders. As the sector is rapidly evolving, DAERA continues to engage regularly with stakeholders.
• During the 2024/25 reporting year the six councils who were continuing to send municipal waste to landfill have exited their landfill contracts and stopped using landfill as their primary disposal route.
• Reported tonnages of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill is expected to reduce significantly throughout 2025.
• The Rethinking our Resources: Measures for Climate Action and a Circular Economy in NI consultation included several proposals addressing the separate collection and recycling of biodegradable waste.  DAERA are considering the feedback from this consultation where it impacts the development of the policy of diverting biodegradable waste from landfill.
• Defra recently published their summary of the responses gathered for their Call for Evidence on the “near elimination of biodegradable waste to landfill”. DAERA are in the process on analysing the feedback to this CfE and assessing what learning can be applied to the development of NI Landfill Policy. Near elimination of biodegradable waste to landfill - GOV.UK

Expected Timeline

• DAERA are currently drafting a public consultation, subject to the necessary approvals, to establish if a policy intervention along the lines of the CCC recommendations would be suitable for Northern Ireland and if so, how this might be implemented.
• It was confirmed in December 2024 that a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment is required for any potential policy intervention to divert bio waste from landfill. DAERA are in the process of contracting a consultant to carry out the SEA Scoping and SEA Environmental Report which should inform, and be published alongside, the public consultation. This is now expected to be completed in Autumn 2025.