Times Gone By

In previous times all waste was destined for the dump. Today Local Authorities are encouraging a new approach – integrated waste management.

Landfills

Government Policy is that waste should be segregated according to appropriate and available treatment processes or services.  Believe it or not modern day landfilling is considered a type of treatment.  But not all wastes should go to the landfill. In fact, too much material ends up in landfills, which have a finite capacity. Many waste types (i.e. paper, cardboard, metals, organic material, glass, etc.) can be managed according to the 3Rs (reduce, re-use, recycle). To accommodate this type of waste many collectors operate a second separate collection for the dry recyclable fraction of the waste stream (see the recycling section for more information).

What is General Waste?

General refuse should only consist of waste that cannot be recovered or recycled i.e. material left-over after the householder has reduced, reused, recycled and composted as much as possible.

Services in Sligo

Waste collections services were privatised in County Sligo in the mid 1990s and in Sligo Town in 2002. Five private companies, permitted by the Local Authority, provide general refuse collections across County Sligo. Each collector operates in a different location of the county (see chart of routes). All collectors operate a pay-by-use service.

Sligo’s Pay-by-Use System

General waste must be presented for collection in prepaid colour bags, which can be purchased in local shops along the collection routes. The five contractors each have different colour bags pertaining to their specific route. The cost of bags includes the collection and disposal charge.

Wheelie Bins

To ensure the safe handling of refuse and to limit littering, all householders are required to present their general refuse in a prepaid bag within a wheelie bin. Wheelie bins come in two sizes i.e. small - 120L or standard - 240L. Wheelie bins can be purchased from garden centres or agricultural supply stores.

Permitted General Refuse Collector	Collection Permit Number	Telephone	Bag Size/ Colour/Cost ALL BAGS CAN BE PURCHASED LOCALLY	Company Contact	Address
Barna Waste Disposal	CW074	1850 445 445	120L/Orange/€5.00 240L/Red/€10.00	Mr Tom Hurson	Barna Waste Carrowbrowne Headford Road Galway
Waste Disposal Sligo Ltd	CW78	071 9143037	120L/Red/€5.00 240L/Blue/€9.00	Mr Simon Rooney	Deep Water Quay Sligo

New Waste Presentation Bye-Laws

Waste Presentation bye-laws have been introduced to Sligo commencing 1st January 2006.  The new bye-laws deal with the presentation of waste for collection by householders.  The Bye-Laws state that:

• All householders must present waste for collection if they are on a collection route.
• All householders must use a wheeled bin for landfill waste.
• Householders must not present waste for collection prior to 6pm on the eve of collection day. 

The bye-laws will help the Council regularise the issue of waste collection, and will bring a number of benefits to the general public in that a maximum number of householders will utilise and benefit from a properly regulated waste collection service, the new bye-laws will ensure waste is presented in a proper manner and is segregated to allow for maximum recycling and recovery and the bye-laws will prevent the creation of environmental pollution and litter associated with waste collection.   

EPA Licenced Facilities

Householders can also bypass collections and take general refuse in bags or trailers directly to EPA licenced facilities. Materials that do not fit into a wheelie bin can also be transported to these sites for disposal – i.e. bulky goods, furniture, mattresses etc. Charges are calculated by weight. (Check out recycling pages of this website, perhaps your bulky goods can be recycled or recovered). 

Transfer Station - Waste Disposal Sligo Ltd - Telephone: 071 9143037

Landfill Site - Ballaghdreen, Co Roscommon - Telephone: 094 9862767

Landfill Site - Rathroeen, Co Mayo  - Telephone: 071 9143037

Landfills

Waste collected by permitted refuse collection companies is transported to two neighbouring landfills – Ballaghadreen Landfill, Co. Roscommon and Rathroeen Landfill, Ballina Co. Mayo.

The Cost of Landfills

Gate fees at the landfills for the collection companies are set at €152.00 per tonne. A national landfill levy of €15.00 is charged on every tonne of material entering the landfill. Funds from this levy are invested back into environmental initiatives.

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