Almost a quarter of all households are not using waste collection services and hundreds of tonnes of waste are going missing, according to a new report.
The National Waste Report 2005, to be published today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), estimates that 202,940 tonnes of household waste was unaccounted for that year.
Nationally, an average of 76 per cent of households availed of a collection service, but in some areas the figure was as low as 48 per cent. The EPA said local authorities should take further steps to extend their collection services.
The report also notes that the amount of household waste going to landfill remains "persistently high" at 77 per cent, a reduction of 1.7 per cent from 2004.
The number of public recycling facilities increased by 8 per cent in 2005, and use of bring banks and civic amenity facilities increased by 12 and 25 per cent respectively.
The report finds that, "to all intents and purposes", the national target of 35 per cent recycling by 2013 was achieved in 2005, when the percentage reached 34.6.
Despite significantly increased collection of recyclable material, however, the EPA found that less waste was actually recycled in Ireland in 2005 (234,696 tonnes) than in 2004 (315,628 tonnes). In 2005, 83 per cent of the State's waste recycling took place abroad, compared to 74 per cent in 2004.
The EPA acknowledged the publication last year of the Government's national strategy on biodegradable waste, which sets out the timetable and means for diverting large quantities from landfill over the next 10-15 years.
