Anti-Dumping Initiative

Illegal dumping is a matter of individual responsibility and compliance with the law. While enforcement in this area is a matter for the local authorities, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment encourage a multi-faceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education.

The Anti-Dumping Initiative was developed by the Department in 2017 to provide funding to local authorities to work in partnership with community organisations and other State Agencies in identifying high risk or problem areas, developing appropriate enforcement responses and carrying out clean-up operations. The Department continue to strongly encourage innovative projects, which recognise waste as a resource that can be re-purposed for use in a Circular Economy.

The Anti-Dumping Initiative is administered by the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs). Funding of over €23 million has been provided to date, which has supported the completion of over 2,200 projects across all 31 local authorities and the removal of over 26,400 tonnes of waste from our landscape.