With the amount of harmful plastic litter in oceans and seas growing ever greater, the European Commission has proposed new EU-wide rules to target the 10 Single-use plastics products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear. Together, these constitute 70% of all marine litter items.  The new...

Under waste legislation construction and demolition waste is defined as “all waste that arises from construction, renovation and demolition activities.” If you are responsible for carrying out a construction and demolition project, you must ensure that you have a waste management plan.  ECOS recently successfully completed a waste management plan to the satisfaction of the...

The European Commission has issued its starkest warning yet of economic penalties facing the Government due to lack of progress in decarbonising Irish society and in adopting renewable energy.  Its 2018 Country Report Ireland concludes “existing climate change mitigation efforts will not enable Ireland to achieve its Europe 2020 climate goals domestically”. It adds: “Only limited progress...

A Waste Collection Permit (WCP) is required where a person wishes to collect waste for the purposes of reward or profit.  In accordance with Section 24 (1) of the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 & 2008, a waste collection permit is valid for 5 years from the day it was granted. Our client, a...

Europe has sent a little more than half the plastic waste it used to ship to China to other parts of Asia since Beijing’s environmental crackdown closed the world’s biggest recycling market in January. Recycling closer to home is held back by the fact that the plastic is often dirty and unsorted, the same reasons China turned...

The Environmental Protection Agency  is organising the National Water Event 2018 titled “Pathways to Progress” on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June 2018 in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, Galway. This event is a key forum for Local Authorities, Regulators and Water Professionals to learn about current changes in Ireland’s water policy and practices. Talks will...

Missing climate change and renewable energy targets will cost the State well in excess of €150m as emissions continue to rise. The Government has admitted it will miss 2020 emission reduction and renewable energy targets, and has undertaken “informal discussions” with EU neighbours with a view to minimising the cost of compliance, the Dáil Committee...

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the conversion of feedstock (any organic non-woody material) by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen into biogas and digestate. Manure and other possible biomass feedstocks are inserted into a large, sealed airless container. In this oxygen free environment, bacteria will produce biogas. In most digesters the contents will be heated to accelerate the...

Europe’s €31bn a year carbon market is finally starting to work the way it was intended, reining in pollution with a minimum of squealing from industry. Thirteen years after it was created to limit carbon-dioxide emissions, prices for the allowances are rising. EU policymakers have enacted measures expected to keep the cost of pollution on an upward trajectory...

Under the Water Services (No 2) Act 2013, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) approves Irish Water’s Water Charges Plan, which sets out water services charges with regard to new connections, special meter reads, meter testing, and charges for provision of water and wastewater services to domestic and non-domestic customers. In approving the Water Charges...