The Competition Authority has been criticised over an investigation of household waste collection services, which it found to be not working well for consumers and in need of reform.
Waste collection companies in the private sector accuse local authorities of operating the waste management system unfairly.
The Irish Waste Management Association says the authority should have tackled this and other issues.
The authority initiated its investigation following allegations that waste firm Greenstar was charging excessive prices for household collections in north-east Co Wicklow.
The competition watchdog concluded yesterday there had been no breaches of the law, but found that Greenstar was in a dominant position as it was the only operator in the area.
The authority said a lack of competition in the service was not working well for consumers and recommended that the Minister for the Environment reform it.
However, the group representing private waste collectors accused the authority of failing to tackle the conflict of interest of local authorities, which it said were providing waste management services while also dictating the regulation of their private competitors.
The IWMA said this unfair competition was compounded by city and county councils maintaining a near monopoly interest in landfills from which they garnered €800m a year in profits from business customers.
