Mayo County Council – Proposed Changes to
Civic Amenity Centres from March 2017:
FAQ Document
Why is Mayo County Council making changes to the operation of the Civic Amenity Centres?
· In keeping with National & Regional Policy Mayo County Council ceased the land-filling of waste in July of 2016. This policy also encourages greater levels of reuse and recycling.
· In an effort to move towards increased levels of reuse and recycling, Mayo County Council are introducing a transition period during which it is intended to increase the range of materials accepted for recycling and to investigate opportunities for reuse of bulky goods accepted at the civic amenity centres.
· Since the landfill reached capacity, the current pricing is not covering the operation costs of the civic amenity centres and the disposal cost of waste which now has to be moved outside of the County. The shortfall in pricing is leading to €400,000 of unrecovered costs annually. This is the equivalent of €100 subsidy per customer per annum.
· Also, the civic amenity centres currently only service 8.5% of total households in County Mayo (predominately in the environs of Castlebar, Westport and Ballina). This equates to approximately 4000 customers of which 67% are living on a waste collection route.
When will the transition period commence?
It is planned to commence making changes to the operation of the centres from March 01st 2017 with further changes taking place over the following 18 months up until September 2018.
What new items will be accepted for recycling?
Initially, we will be accepting construction and demolition waste such as the type of waste from small domestic renovations. We also plan to source a recycling outlet for mattresses. We also want to develop the current household hazardous waste service at the site, particularly targeting the significant volumes of hazardous waste from homes and farms throughout the County.
What type of construction and demolition waste will be accepted at the site?
Materials accepted as Construction and Demolition Waste includes Soil & Stones, ceramics, tiles, concrete, bricks & blocks, asphalt and macadam bituminous materials. Ceramics include toilets, cisterns, wash basins and shower trays.
What will be the charge for recycling at the centre from March 01st?
The charges for householders visiting the centres with recyclable items will be €3.40 per car per visit. This will increase incrementally with an expected rate per car per visit of €5 in September 2018
Householders visiting the centres in a Van or in a Car & Trailer or Van & Trailer will pay a rate of €5.
This will increase incrementally with an expected rate of €7 in September 2018.
Business waste will be accepted at a rate of €7.50 per visit. Any customer visiting the centre in a vehicle displaying a commercial logo will be charged at this rate.
This will increase incrementally with an expected rate of €13 in September 2018.
(All charges for recycling are subject to review due to changes in market commodity values)
Why is Mayo County Council increasing the recycling charge – recycling should be free to encourage people to recycle?
While recycling is a better option for dealing with waste over disposal, the process of transporting recyclables to end markets and the subsequent use of these as raw materials can incur high costs.
We encourage householders to make savings by preventing waste, particularly food waste.
Will Mayo County Council continue to accept landfill waste after March 01st?
Mayo County Council will continue to accept landfill waste after March 01st. It is intended to move away from the acceptance of waste by September 2018. However, this is subject to the further role out of Kerbside waste collection and the installation of Pay to Use Units as required in areas where kerbside collection is not feasible. The expected introduction of incentivised pricing for waste collection nationally will also influence the continued acceptance of waste at the centres.
What will be the charge for landfill waste from March 01st?
The standard refuse bag rate will increase from €6.80 to €7.00 on March 01st.
This will increase incrementally with an expected rate of €10 in September 2018.
The rate per tonne for waste passing through Weigh Bridge will increase from €280 to €290 per tonne (including landfill levy) on March 01st.
This will increase incrementally with an expected rate of €350 per tonne (including landfill levy) in September 2018.
(Charges for landfill waste are subject to review due to possible changes to landfill levy and disposal markets)
I live in an area where there is no waste collection - what will I do with my waste after September 2018?
Mayo County Council are liaising with the private waste companies operating in the County to establish a complete map of all waste collection routes and identify areas of the County where there is currently a deficit in collection. We will also investigate the introduction of Pay to Use Units for waste disposal and recycling in remote areas where waste collection is not possible.
What are Pay to Use Units?
‘Pay to use’ units are stand alone waste compactor units which can act as a drop off point for household waste and recycling. They are subject to Waste Permit Regulation.
Can I still bring hazardous waste such as old medicines and paint to the centres and if so what will be the charges?
Yes, we will still accept items of household hazardous waste at the Civic Amenity Centres such as oil based paint, medicines and cleaning agents. The charge will increase from €5 to €6 per vehicle per visit.
This will increase incrementally with an expected rate of €10 in September 2018.
During the transition period the acceptance of farm hazardous waste will be reviewed with a view to increasing this service.
Is there any items accepted free of charge at the centres?
Mayo County Council will continue to accept electrical waste, batteries and old clothes free of charge.
Will I have to pay for items that are brought to the centre and are subsequently reused?
All waste and recyclable items brought to the Civic Amenity Centres other than waste electrical items, batteries and clothes will be subject to charges.
Are there any alternative options for disposal of waste other than at the Civic Amenity Centres?
Waste can be disposed of by availing of the services of a Permitted Waste Collector. There are seven waste collectors currently operating in the County. These waste collectors have given a commitment to work with Mayo County Council to increase coverage of kerbside Collection in the County. Detailed mapping of waste collection routes is currently underway.
Contact details of waste collectors can be obtained by contacting the Environment, Climate Change and Agriculture Section of Mayo County Council 0949024444, or by emailing: or visiting www.mayococo.ie
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