Ireland's landfill waste 'puts Europe to shame'

Ireland sends almost three times the European average amount of waste to landfill, according to new figures.

Research conducted as part of the Eurostat Key Figures on Europe report suggests that the country is unlikely to meet European Union (EU) targets of recycling half of its waste by 2013.

This is despite Ireland's efforts to introduce recycling initiatives and its success in reusing more materials than ever before.

It was also reported that the country's waste production increased by 56 per cent between 1995 and 2006, while the UK saw a rise of 17 per cent.

However, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency told the Irish Independent that the statistics "are not comparable as the data methodology is different in each country".

He admitted that it is necessary for Ireland "to recycle as much as possible and to reduce if we can".

Eurostat - or the Statistical Office of the European Communities - aims to provide the EU with high-quality statistical data.

Written by Joseph Hutton