Waste Services
VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) Solvents
The V.O.C. Solvents Regulations 2002 were adopted in order to regulate the commercial usage of solvents across various sectors of industry in Ireland. The Regulations affect a wide variety of industrial activities, from Dry Cleaning, Printing, Lamination and Surface Coating processes, to Footwear and Pharmaceutical products manufacturing.
Commercial solvent users must determine if these Regulations apply to their individual operations, based on the consumption threshold limits applicable to their respective sectors. Different limits and exemptions apply to particular types of industrial activity, depending on the amount of solvents used in the production process. If a particular installation or premises’ solvents usage exceeds the specified thresholds for that type of activity, then that business is legally required to obtain a Certificate of Compliance from their respective local authority in order to continue operating.
Useful advice and information for any businesses engaged in solvent consuming activities is contained in the following guidance document “VOC's - A Plain Guide" 
(pdf. 266kb). Further information is also available on the EPA website.
Dry Cleaners
The VOC Regulations do not provide any exemptions for the Dry Cleaning sector based on levels of solvents' usage. Therefore, all commercial installations (premises) where Dry Cleaning activity occurs are legally obliged to annually register with their local authority and obtain a Certificate of Compliance.
Certificates of Compliance
In order to obtain a Certificate, a commercial operator must commission an inspection report from an Accredited Inspection Contractor (AIC), and submit this report along with an application form and the prescribed €50 application fee to their local authority. Certificates are normally valid for one year from the date of issue, and registration must then be renewed on an annual basis.
Details of all Accredited Inspection Contractors (AIC's) engaged in the preparation of the relevant reports are available by contacting the Irish National Accreditation Board at (01) 6073003 or accessing their website at www.inab.ie.
Please click on the following link to download a copy of the VOC's Registration Form
(pdf. 244 kb).
Details of all VOC installations currently registered within the Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown administrative area are available by clicking here on the VOC's Register
(pdf. 240 kb).