What were Northern Ireland's recycling and energy recovery rates for council-collected waste in 2024/25?

DAERA reported that 50.4% of council-collected waste was sent for recycling in 2024/25. A further 34.3% went to energy recovery.

Why is over-reliance on landfill unsustainable?

Landfill wastes materials and energy that could be recovered. Buried biodegradable waste produces methane and leachate for decades, and landfill space is running out.

Why is it difficult to find sites for new landfills in Northern Ireland?

Local residents usually object to the noise, odour, traffic, litter and vermin a landfill brings. Planning approval is therefore slow and uncertain.

What geological and hydrological conditions does a new landfill site need?

A landfill needs low-permeability ground, such as clay, and a deep water table. A site must avoid aquifers, floodplains and springs so that leachate cannot reach water supplies.

CCEA A-Level Environmental Technology 3930

Fossil Fuels

Topic overview Coal, oil and gas in modern society Reserves, lifespan and accessibility Fossil fuel combustion and the IPCC evidence Carbon trading schemes Fossil fuel demand, emerging economies and fuel security Environmental impacts of fossil fuel use

Global Action on Energy Conservation and Climate Change

Topic overview Sustainable development and climate agreements Emissions and energy efficiency targets for 2020 Renewable energy and demand reduction in policy Nuclear power as an alternative

Macrogeneration

Topic overview Conservation of energy and the simple generator Thermal power stations and steam turbines Direct and indirect renewable electricity Electricity transmission through the National Grid Smart grids and interconnectors Combined heat and power

Microgeneration

Topic overview Microgeneration technologies Benefits of home and community microgeneration The heat pump cycle and coefficient of performance Air source and ground source heat pumps

Energy From Wind

Topic overview Horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines Kinetic energy, wind power and the Betz limit Power curves, rated output and energy losses Swept area, blade length and turbine mass Air density, hub height and turbine siting Power control, yawing and survival speed Choosing a location for a commercial wind farm

Energy From the Sun

Topic overview Solar radiation, tracking and concentrating solar power Flat plate and evacuated tube collectors Sizing a domestic solar thermal system Photovoltaic cells and semiconductor wafers Types of photovoltaic module compared Planning regulations and solar incentives Passive solar design in new and existing buildings

Energy From Biomass

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Energy Storage

Topic overview Intermittency and reliability of renewable supply Why renewable energy needs storing Pumped hydro and compressed air energy storage Where energy storage is most beneficial

Plastics for the Future

Topic overview Crude oil as a fuel and a feedstock Refinery gases and the making of polymers Persistent plastic waste and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Toxic gases from incinerating plastics Biodegradable, photodegradable and compostable plastics Testing photodegradable plastic against polythene Bio-derived polyethylene and a sustainable plastics future

Renewable Energy Investigations

Topic overview Desktop research on renewable energy technologies Choosing an investigation and its variables Apparatus and risk assessment for energy practicals Accuracy and reliability of energy measurements Presenting and analysing energy data Evaluating a method and site-based recommendations

Sustainable Development

Topic overview Population growth and demand for resources The I = PAT equation and the role of technology Ecological footprints, carbon footprints and One Planet Living

Waste Management

Topic overview Landfill dependence and the landfill tax Waste types, priority waste streams and EU directives The waste management hierarchy Recycling at a Materials Recovery Facility Landfill decomposition, methane and leachate Engineered landfill: dry tomb and bioreactor designs

Waste to Energy Technologies

Topic overview Embodied energy Incineration with energy recovery Digester design: solids content, residence time and staging Stages of anaerobic digestion and biogas CHP Composting and catering waste

Land Contamination and Remediation

Topic overview Contaminated land, risk and traditional remediation Bioremediation principles and bioreactor systems Micro-organisms that degrade named pollutants Bioremediation benefits and genetically engineered microbes Phytoremediation of metals and other elements Phytoextraction with Indian mustard and alpine pennycress Biohydrometallurgy and phytomining of ores

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Topic overview Hydrogen as a fuel: properties and storage Hydrogen production: steam reforming, electrolysis and photocatalysis How a fuel cell works and the PEM cell Alkaline, phosphoric acid, molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells Fuel cell applications and the challenges of hydrogen

Transport System Challenges

Topic overview Four key challenges for future transport New vehicle technologies and their infrastructure Bioethanol production and the heat energy of ethanol Biodiesel and the biofuel debate Strategies to reduce transport demand

Energy Performance of Buildings

Topic overview Energy conservation and residents' behaviour Insulation, air tightness and glazing U-values and the heat flow equation The zero carbon homes hierarchy BREEAM, the Code and upgrading existing homes

Emerging Technologies

Topic overview Tidal stream and tidal barrage power Wave energy converters Environmental impacts of wave and tidal energy Smart materials and smart systems Carbon capture and storage Geo-engineering, direct air capture and bio-photovoltaics

Sustainable Urban and Rural Communities

Topic overview Energy and buildings in sustainable urban developments Transport, waste and brownfield sites Water, drainage and urban green space Energy, water and waste for isolated rural dwellings Local food and communication technology in rural areas

The Code for Sustainable Homes

Topic overview Purpose, levels and assessment of the Code Energy, carbon dioxide and water categories Materials, surface water run-off and waste categories Pollution, health and wellbeing, management and ecology categories Measuring the performance of an existing building Performance profiles, improvements and evaluation

Waste Management

Landfill dependence and the landfill tax

3 things to know
A2 1

Overview

Northern Ireland's past reliance on landfill and its current rates, why landfill is unsustainable, siting conditions and NIMBY objections, the landfill tax and its 2026 rate, NILAS, and landfill tax and diversion calculations.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Numbers

When was the UK landfill tax introduced, and what are its two rates?

Key term

Why has Northern Ireland historically relied so heavily on landfill?

Numbers

How has the share of council-collected waste sent to landfill in Northern Ireland changed?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Why has Northern Ireland historically relied so heavily on landfill?
Model answer
Landfill was long the cheapest and simplest disposal route, and suitable quarries and land were available. Little recycling or energy recovery infrastructure existed until the 2000s.
2
How has the share of council-collected waste sent to landfill in Northern Ireland changed?
Model answer
DAERA figures show the landfill rate fell from 74.0% in 2006/07 to 14.0% in 2024/25. Most diverted waste now goes to recycling or energy recovery.
3
What were Northern Ireland's recycling and energy recovery rates for council-collected waste in 2024/25?
Model answer
DAERA reported that 50.4% of council-collected waste was sent for recycling in 2024/25. A further 34.3% went to energy recovery.
4
Why is over-reliance on landfill unsustainable?
Model answer
Landfill wastes materials and energy that could be recovered. Buried biodegradable waste produces methane and leachate for decades, and landfill space is running out.
5
Why is it difficult to find sites for new landfills in Northern Ireland?
Model answer
Local residents usually object to the noise, odour, traffic, litter and vermin a landfill brings. Planning approval is therefore slow and uncertain.
6
What geological and hydrological conditions does a new landfill site need?
Model answer
A landfill needs low-permeability ground, such as clay, and a deep water table. A site must avoid aquifers, floodplains and springs so that leachate cannot reach water supplies.

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Fossil Fuels

Global Action on Energy Conservation and Climate Change

Macrogeneration

Microgeneration

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