A whopping 23,250 tonnes of waste lifted in 3 months

A whopping 23,250 tonnes of waste lifted in 3 months

19 February 2025

A STAGGERING 23,250 tonnes of waste was collected in the Newry, Mourne and Down Council area over a three-month period last year, new figures have revealed.

Almost 92 per cent of the waste was generated by homes across what is the third largest council area in Northern Ireland.

The total is equivalent to 1,937 double decker buses, with the three monthly waste collection figure slightly down on the same three-month period the previous year when the amount was 22,473 tonnes.

Of the waste collected by the local authority between April and June last year, almost 100 tonnes was directed to landfill.

The waste figures have been released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and in a bid to address the issue Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has launched a new education and awareness campaign funded via the carrier bag levy. 

Entitled ‘A Better Way’, the initiative aims to encourage communities to reduce, reuse and repair to help cut down on landfill waste and lessen the impact on the environment.

Stormont Minister Andrew Muir said the prevention of waste was the most favourable option. 

“Waste prevention saves money through more efficient use of materials, reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change and supports the principles of a circular economy,” he said.

“I am keen to see our resources moved as far up the waste hierarchy as possible and welcome the impact that this campaign will have on changing waste prevention behaviours across Northern Ireland.”

The Department says given that almost 100 tonnes of the waste generated over the three-month period went to landfill, this highlights the ongoing challenge with the sheer volume of what ends up in bins and the strain that managing this waste puts on the environment. 

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful chief executive Eric Randall said the new campaign highlighted the opportunity people have to make small and simple changes in their daily lives to reduce what goes in the bin and what is directed to landfill. 

“At present, the amount we are throwing away is indicative of a very wasteful culture,” he continued.

“We need to challenge our perceptions of what waste is. Let’s explore the ways in which we can reduce, reuse and repair to turn the tide on waste in 2025.”

As part of the new campaign, an official A Better Way mark has been developed, which retailers and wider organisations such as vintage clothing shops, alteration specialists, appliance repairs and others committed to doing better can display.

Keep NI Beautiful’s waste and pollution solutions co-ordinator, Aoife McCrory, said it was “better for the environment and people’s pockets to cherish what they already have”. 

She continued: “Why not invest in reusable coffee cups and water bottles, designed for long-term use, to reduce the need to buy disposable items?

“Similarly, rather than throwing food jars away, use them as storage containers. Borrow or rent from friends and neighbours to reduce the need to buy new.”

Aoife also suggested using refill stations to cut down on packaging, opt to go paperless when it comes to banking and repair tears on clothing.

She added: “Better ways exist, but we need to show greater commitment.”