Construction and Demolition Waste Enforcement

1. What is construction & demolition waste
2. Responsibilities of persons involved in construction and demolition of waste
3. What do I need to do?

What is construction and demolition waste

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste includes any kind of waste created in the construction process, for example, soil and stone.

It includes soil and stone, surplus and damaged products and materials arising at construction works or used temporarily during on-site activities, together with dredge spoil. These materials can be hazardous. Please see below for Environmental Protection Agency document on Waste Classification which includes the List of Wastes (formerly European Waste Catalogue EWC) other List of Waste guidance documents.

Responsibilities of persons involved in construction & demolition of waste

• If you are responsible for carrying out a construction and demolition project, you must ensure that you have a waste management plan for all waste generated as a result of this activity and ensure that it is segregated so that it can be reused, recycled or disposed of in an appropriate way.
• Where construction or demolition wastes cannot be reused or recycled, that waste must be transported to authorised waste facilities using the services of authorised waste collectors. 

What do I need to do.

In summary you will need to:

• Estimate the amount of waste to be generated.
• Wastes generated on site must be segregated into individual types , where possible.
• All waste moved off site, including soil and stone must be :
  • Collected by authorised waste collectors (as authorised by the National Waste Collection Permit Office
  • Taken to authorised waste facilities. View the Local Authority Waste Facility Register for a list of authorised sites in Laois

Further information

The waste action plan for a circular economy  is Ireland’s new roadmap for waste planning and management. It revised the 2006 "Best Practice Guidelines on the Preparation of Waste Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Waste Projects”.

The EPA published best practice guidelines for the Preparation of Resource & Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Projects in 2021.

For further information please contact environment section in Laois County Council at 057 8674000 or email environadmin@laoiscoco.ie.