AQW 9723/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) what estimate he has made of the remaining capacity of landfill sites in Northern Ireland; and (ii) whether he has made an assessment of the timeframe for that capacity to be reached.
Asked by John Blair MLA on 4 November 2020
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 4 November 2020
- Answer due by
- 19 November 2020
- Answered
- 23 August 2021292 days after tabling
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Landfill sites in Northern Ireland are classified either as; hazardous, non-hazardous or inert waste as required under Article 4 of the Landfill Directive.
I can advise that the table below summarises the estimated remaining capacities in Northern Ireland by landfill type as of May 2021.
| Landfill Type | Estimated remaining capacity (tonnes) |
| Non-Hazardous | 4,809,241 |
| Inert | 15,176,282 |
There are two landfills in Northern Ireland permitted to accept hazardous waste. Collectively these have a total remaining capacity of 65,000m3
I am unable to give a definitive timeframe for NI capacity to be reached as this is dependent on a number of factors including waste generation, recycling and disposal rates as well as specific landfill conditions such as waste types received and compaction rates.