Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that many people were shocked when one of the largest waste collectors introduced a charge for something for which it had previously not been charging. Nobody wishes to pay for something they previously did not pay for.

The Deputy asked how I intend to maximise compost and recyclable waste. I do not wish to maximise compost and recyclable waste. I wish to minimise it. The national policy is to cut food waste by 50% by 2030, which is line with EU policy. Without nitpicking, the question is how do I maximise the amount of waste created. I wish to minimise it. After we have minimised the quantity of waste, within that structure, I wish to make sure that the highest proportion of anything residual is recycled or composted. That is the policy. We are at a point where 130 kg per year of food waste is generated by each household. That food waste, whether it is collected for free or not, costs money. It is worth approximately €700 per year of cost to households. Our primary policy is to reduce that 130 kg down to 65 kg, which will cut the costs to households by €350 per year.

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