Waste Management 9.14 Waste management policy is based on the EU Waste Hierarchy of prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling, energy recovery and sustainable disposal. The European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan: For a Cleaner More Competitive Europe 16 was adopted in 2020, and promotes a transition towards the principles of a circular economy, facilitating the use of materials at their highest value for as long as possible and then recycling or reusing them at the end of their service life with the end result being the generation of minimal waste.
9.16 Currently Cork City is part of the Southern Waste Region. The strategic vision of the Southern Region Waste Management Plan 2015-2021 is to rethink our approach to managing waste, by viewing our waste streams as valuable material resources, leading to a healthier environment and sustainable commercial opportunities for our economy. Particular emphasis is placed on preventing and designing out waste at the initial stage of any activity, thus achieving the highest level of the waste hierarchy, namely waste prevention. The Southern Region Waste Management Office has commenced the process of drafting the next Waste Management Plan. The City Council will input into the preparation of the new Waste Management Plan and endorse its objectives and outcomes.
The Waste Hierarchy 17
9.15 The government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy- Ireland’s National Waste Policy 2020- 2025 18 , endorses this approach and aims to shift the focus of waste management away from waste disposal and treatment to ensure that materials and products remain in productive use for longer. This is aimed at preventing waste and supporting reuse through a policy framework that discourages the wasting of resources and rewards circularity. In time it is aimed to replace the existing Regional Waste Management Plans with a National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy containing targets for: Reuse, Repair, Resource consumption and Reducing contamination levels.
9.17 Guidelines on design standards for waste storage facilities and management in private developments are included in Chapter 11 Placemaking and Managing Development.
16 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/ 17 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/green-growth/waste-prevention-and-management 18 https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/4221c-waste-action-plan-for-a-circular-economy/ 19 http://southernwasteregion.ie/content/southern-region-waste-management-plan-2015-2021-associated-reports
285
Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028
Volume 1 I Chapter 9
Powered by FlippingBook