Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I will not do what my party leader, Deputy Eamon Ryan, just did in the Dáil Chamber and pull out a bag of plastic to show the Minister the types of plastic we are finding in our environment and which are contributing to waste. To put it in context, the world created and used 480 billion plastic bottles last year. If we think about it, that is a staggering number. If we were to stack those bottles on top of each other, they would reach half way from the earth to the sun. All of the plastic waste that finds itself loose in the environment and in our lakes and seas contributes hugely to the global problem of marine plastic pollution.

The Green Party has something that it feels will contribute to the solution of waste reduction. I refer to the Waste Reduction Bill 2017. I appeal to my colleagues in the Seanad to consider this legislation. It is a very good Bill which is ready to be taken by some party or Independent and used in their Private Members' time. We do not have the opportunity to introduce the legislation but we have it ready. We would be very happy for another party to take this on and table it with our full support. There are two components of the Bill, which is fairly straightforward in nature. The first component involves a ban on disposable non-combustible tableware, that is, the plastic cups, glasses and plates that we find in the canteens here in Leinster House and in shops. We are asking that this type of plastic be banned from 1 January 2020. The other component is a deposit-and-return scheme, about which people are excited. I lived in the Netherlands for years. When we bought plastic bottles of drinks and, when they were empty, we returned them to the supermarket. There was a conveyor belt system outside the shop. We put our bottles onto the conveyor belt and went in to do our shopping. When we came to the checkout we had a voucher to subtract money from the cost of the shopping. This is a very creative way of dealing with waste. It puts the onus on companies that are producing packaging to reduce the impact of waste. We will support any party or Independent who would like to take this Bill forward on our behalf.

It is lovely to hear Senator Lombard talk about the environment being discussed in every household. Over a 20-year period, we have seen concern grow about the impact of waste and the importance of all aspects of a clean environment for our health and well-being, for communities and for our tourism offering. We have been working over the years with Green-Schools, Tidy Towns and many others to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Minister talked about brown bins. Some years ago, county councils gave out compost bins. Many Senators probably have these in their back gardens - they are brilliant. I have one that I have been using for the past ten years. It eats waste. One puts in all one's peels and it even takes a bit of meat or fish waste. One can put the waste into one's bin in the back garden - if one is lucky enough to have that space - and it breaks down and can be used in a vegetable patch. It is all part of the circular economy. We are trying to teach people that if waste is dealt with properly, it can have an added advantage. I echo what Senator Conway-Walsh said. I wish the waste services were back in the hands of local authorities. I have concerns about private operators because they are profit oriented.

The Minister has spoken about the brown bin. Some years ago, county councils were giving out a compost facilityThat is the bottom line. Of course they are providing a service, but their bottom line is profit. With that, I would like to see the service returning to the local authorities and local authorities taking responsibility on behalf of the State and on behalf of communities. Generally, this whole issue which the Minister is raising is something which, if treated properly and if we get it right, can be a win-win for everyone in the community.