RUBBISH, which weighs the same as 1,237 double-decker buses, was collected by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council over a three month period last year, startling statistics have revealed.
A report from DAERA showed that 14,855 tonnes of waste was collected by the Council during the three-months. It was an increase on the period in 2023.
Comparing the amount of waste collected during that time to over 1,000 double-decker buses shows the major issue that exists in our society, with no signs of a reduction in waste volume.
The ‘Herald recently revealed that capacity has been reacted at Drummee Landfill Site, the main dump in Fermanagh which is located on the outskirts of Enniskillen, 20-years after it was opened.
It was also included in the DAERA reported that 85.9-per-cent of the 14,855 tonnes of waste collected was from household bins. The remaining 5,449 tonnes was directly from landfill waste.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor, Dermot Brown, said that people must be responsible when it comes to recycling, in a desperate bid to save the local environment.
“The Council’s climate action plan set ambitious targets for increasing the amount of waste that we recycle,” Mr Brown told the ‘Herald.
“The significant investment into the new waste transfer station will help us to meet those targets.
“We all have a responsibility to look after our environment, so I would encourage everyone to recycle as much of their waste as possible, as this will benefit us all in the long run.”
It’s understood that the Council has developed a state-of-the-art Waste Transfer Station at Drummee Recycling Centre, as part of its commitment to improve general recycling.
The facility is used to collect the refuse, before screening and sorting it into categories. It’s later loaded and transported off to other landfill sites and dumps, with the majority brought to Omagh.
The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is taking a stance on recycling.
“The prevention of waste is the most favourable option and as such is at the top of the Waste Hierarchy,” Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister, Andrew Muir, said.
“Waste prevention saves money through efficient use of materials, reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change and supports a circular economy.
“I’m keen to see our resources moved as far up the waste hierarchy as possible and welcome the impact this will have on changing waste prevention behaviours across Northern Ireland.”
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