A new waste strategy report is to be presented to Tynwald this month.

At the last sitting of the political year, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer will ask Tynwald members to back the ’Isle of Man Waste Strategy’.

The strategy is centred around how the government can achieve eight core policies designed to ensure the island is self-sufficient in how it manages waste.

The 2018 strategy comes after a review of the 2012-2022 waste policy and strategy.

Mr Harmer said: ’The island’s residents, commercial and industrial sectors need to know that when waste is produced there are facilities and schemes in place to manage it sustainable, not and in the future.

’The review undertaken last year highlighted the importance of gathering reliable data, a vital component of any strategy, and the need to take into account projects that had started since 2012.

’Particularly work with local authorities through the waste working groups on closed landfill sites.

’The review also informed the strategy’s need to consider the island’s approach against common international standards.’

Part of the strategy focuses on how the island cannot just accept the standard ’EU Waste Hierarchy’ due to our own needs and abilities.

As such, the report counters the EU hierarchy with not placing an emphasis on eliminating waste but on a more realistic target of reducing and reusing materials and items.

The report identifies eight core policies to ensure those aims can be met.

Firstly, protecting the environment and human health, this means all waste being managed to the highest standards and monitor areas of ’historic waste disposal’.

The island will aim to be self-sufficient in managing waste, while recognising due to the size of the island, some materials and items will have to be sent off island to be dealt with safely.

The island will also not import waste and will minimise the distance recycled materials are transported.

The energy from waste plant, will be given a further lease of life beyond the current facility contract which ends in August 2029.

The plant is described as ’the primary method of disposing of residual incinerable waste’, and this will continue subject to the plant meeting required standards.

The animal waste processing plant will continue disposing of animal waste including fallen stock.

Packaging

The DoI will work with local authorities and will target household waste packaging, and establish limits for the amount remaining in waste rather than being recycled.

The DoI also notes the island must move towards reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and plastics, reduce the consumption of rare metals, reduce waste overall and reduce hazardous waste.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture will continue to work towards its target of removing all unnecessary single use plastics across government by January 2021.

The department will also work with local authorities to reduce the amount of potentially recyclable material in household waste.

This will include working to expand shared schemes.

Mr Harmer said: ’With a focus on reducing and reusing waste, the core policies reflect our status as a Biosphere island and support DEFA’s drive against the use of single use plastics.

’The strategy also emphasises the need for the island to maintain its strategic waste disposal infrastructure to manage wastes which are not reused or recycled.’