The Environmental Department at Thorntons Recycling implements the company’s rigorous environmental policies and ensures that both Thorntons Recycling and its clients meet their obligations under both EU and Irish regulations. The company has been instrumental in promoting environmental standards throughout the waste management industry through the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA).
Thorntons Recycling has an environmentally committed track record which means you can be assured that all activities are carried out in compliance with the requirements of the Waste Management Acts, all relevant Health and Safety legislation and codes of practice. The company provides resources, training and controls to ensure that all company activities adhere to all applications of legislation.
In December 2006 Thorntons Recycling was awarded three certificates from Certification Europe Ltd, which illustrates ongoing commitment to the highest possible standards in Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001), Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001) and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001). In 2015 the company’s Confidential Shredding facility was awarded EN15713 standard. Thorntons Recycling continues to operate its business to these standards and is audited a number of times by Certification Europe each year to ensure compliance with the latest standards. In November 2019, Thorntons Recycling achieved certification in ISO 45001:2018, the new Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard.
Each award is an internationally recognised standard which provides a framework of globally recognised principles of management to ensure compliance and client satisfaction.
The core of Thorntons Recycling Integrated Management System is enshrined in the company’s EHS and Quality policies which are attached in the links below. These policies are reviewed and updated annually by the company's management team to ensure that at all times the company has clear objectives in relation to its quality procedures.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues Waste Licences to landfills, waste transfer stations, hazardous waste disposal and other significant waste disposal and recovery activities in Ireland. A waste license is a single integrated licence, which deals with emissions to all environmental media, in addition to the environmental management of the facility.
PTWDL has five Waste Licenses:
Thorntons Recycling Centre, Killeen Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, Waste Licence Register Number WW0044-02. Up to 250,000 tonnes of waste can be processed at the waste transfer station in a year.
Thorntons Recycling Civic Amenity and Materials Recovery Facility at Dunboyne Industrial Estate, Dunboyne, Co. Meath. The EPA issued a waste license to process 50,000 tonnes per annum – Waste Licence Register Number is W0206-01
Kilmainhamwood Compost, Ballynalurgan, Kilmainhamwood, Co. Meath. The facility is licensed under EPA Licence No. W0195-02 to accept up to 40,000 tonnes per annum of organic material for compost which can be used in Ireland’s agriculture and horticulture section. The facility was awarded Best Compost Facility in Ireland by Cre in May 2008.
Thorntons JFK facility (W0227-01) processes up to 95,000 TPA of C&D materials, and household bulky skips.
Thorntons Balbriggan facility (P1014 - 01) produces solid recovered fuel from unrecyclable materials. This fuel is supplied to the cement industry.
A Skip Operators Licence is a license to provide skips for hire and for use on public roads and footpaths. Thorntons Recycling has three skip licenses;
Dublin City Council DCC Licence Number 1 – allows the company to provide skips for hire and/or for use on public roads/ footpaths subject to compliance with Dublin City Council, Control of Skip Bye-Laws 1999.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council DLRCC Licence Number 08/24 – allows the company to provide skips for hire and/or use on roads within the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils administrative area subject to compliance with the Council’s Control of Skips Bye-Laws 1998.
Bray – Licence number SL 24/3 allows the company to provide skips for hire and/or for use on public roads/ footpaths subject to compliance with Bray Town Council, Control of Skip Bye-Laws 2001.
Thorntons Recycling is authorized to collect waste through a National Waste Collection Permit NWCPO-09-01190-06. In 2012 the National Waste Collection Permit Office was created as the single nominated authority with responsibility for all waste collection permits. This permit authorizes Thorntons to collect various waste types nationwide. A copy of this Waste Permit is obtainable through the link below. If you have any questions about waste types or permits please contact one of our Environmental or Sales staff who will be delighted to discuss it with you (Ph: 01-6235133)
National Waste Collection Permit Register Number NWCPO-09-01190-06
Waste Permits are issued and regulated by Local Authorities and cover minor waste management activities that present less of a risk to the environment and therefore do not need a Waste Licence. Thorntons Recycling has the following waste permits:
A Confidential Shredding facility is operated by Thorntons at, Unit 6 S3B Henry Road, Park West Business Park, Dublin 12. The permit was issued by Dublin City Council – Waste Permit Number WFP-DC-11-0023-03.
Mixed Dry Recyclables (MDR) facility at Unit 51 Henry Road, Parkwest Business Park, Dublin 12. This permit was issued by Dublin City Council. Waste Permit Number WFP-DC-10-0021-04.
Thorntons Cappagh Facility Operates under a Fingal county council waste facility permit and processes mixed C & D Waste and household bulky skips - Waste Permit Number WFP-FG-17-0001-04.
Thorntons Unit S3A facility will accept segregated cardboard and plastic from customers. The materials will be quality checked and baled into mill size bales before being consigned to recycling facilities. A permit was issued by Dublin City Council – Waste Permit Register Number WFP-DC-20-0055-01.
Thorntons Recycling sites undertake a thorough Environmental Monitoring regime to ensure minimal impact on the environment from all of its sites. Comprehensive measurements of the following items are taken at regular intervals by independent professional consultants:
Thorntons is required by Law, under the conditions of its permits and licences, to submit quarterly/annual reports to the Local Authority or EPA in relation to all of its facilities.
Daily checks are carried out by Thorntons own Environmental staff to ensure that none of its facilities create a nuisance for the local environment. All Thorntons Environmental staff are fully trained and carry out regular update training to keep them appraised of changes in legislation and to keep them informed of latest testing techniques.
The company also carries out Occupational and Health and Safety monitoring programmes on all of its sites.
Thorntons has a dedicated team of Environmental and Health and Safety professionals who are qualified in internal auditing, monitoring and interpretation of scientific results. This team of professionals are available to all of our customers to help them with their waste management and recycling needs.
Please click on the links below to view our policies in relation to environmental monitoring.
There are approximately 750 bin trucks in the Republic of Ireland and NSAI’s Legal Metrology inspectors have been tasked with checking that all of them are weighing refuse accurately, ensuring the quantities charged for are correct.
“Legal Metrology Inspectors will conduct regular nationwide inspections of all bin weighing equipment to ensure compliance with legal requirements and give consumers assured confidence that the weights used to form the basis of their waste bills are accurate,” said Paul Turner, Head of NSAI’s Legal Metrology.
“All waste weighing systems used for the collection of waste under this new legislation must comply with the requirements of the Metrology Act, 1996. Therefore, if a bin company tampers with their weighting equipment, that will be prosecuted,” he added.
Listen to Paul Turner, Manager, Legal Metrology explain Confidence in Your Weight
It is hoped this new system will increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. The pay-by-weight legislation has already been piloted in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area where the amount of waste being put out by the public decreased by between 20 – 25% as soon as it was introduced.
For more information on the NSAI’s Legal Metrology division of National Metrology Laboratory, visit our Metrology section on the NSAI.ie or follow us on Twitter @NSAI_Standards
What is the Legal Metrology’s role in the Pay By Weight System?
It is an automatic system, taking the human intervention out of it. The bin operator will place the bin on the equipment, which will then lift the bin, weigh it and place it back on the ground. This will reduce human intervention, therefore reducing the chance of possible error or fraud. This bin weight data is then captured by the truck, transmitted to a centralized data center, and is used to calculate your waste bill. Security is a very important part of this system.
Our regulations stipulate that the data must be secure at all times, and any changes made to the software or hardware can be tracked and the authorities will be aware of it. As well as analyzing the weight data, NSAI’s Legal Metrology inspectors will also regularly check the weighing equipment to ensure it is measuring the bins accurately.
What if I believe a weighing instrument is not accurate?
As part of our enforcement role, NSAI’s Legal Metrology division pays particular attention to matters brought to our attention by members of the public. If you believe there has been a short measurement or other issue relating to our work please complete our complaints form, which is available on our website, NSAI.ie, and give us as much information as possible, about the transaction, including product and trader details.
