Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This Bill should not come as any surprise to him. I would be doubtful if he was not supportive of it because he is fiercely committed to issues around sustainability and sustainable practices. I thank Senator Boylan and her team in Sinn Féin for this Bill. It is very timely and appropriate. It is a simple and common-sense ask. I do not know why we have not examined it long before now. Advocating for sustainable practices and a better environment and, in turn, a more sustainable future for our planet and future generations are at the key of this proposal and central tenets of this legislation. I thank the Sinn Féin Senators for using their time to bring the Bill and for championing the cause of waste reduction, promoting responsible consumer behaviour and encouraging the development of innovative recycling and resource management. That is what they are seeking to do. Together, we can create a more sustainable Ireland. I also acknowledge and thank VOICE for sending an email which was very supportive of the central tenet of this legislation. I thank VOICE for its meaningful engagement, which I found extremely helpful. I also thank Senator Boylan for her memo, which I looked at. I checked a few issues in it. One of the key asks is to ban the destruction or dumping of new non-food products. It requires companies to donate or reuse products including, but not limited to, electronics, ink cartridges, textiles, books and furniture and a €3,000 fine for breaches. Those are very simple asks. There is nothing complicated about that.

There is a lot of focus on the practice of destroying used products, especially in the fashion industry. It has been the norm to maintain brand value. There are issues around why producers dump products to keep prices up, which is an important issue. Dumping unused represents waste of valuable resources. I do not think the Minister of State could deny that. It intensifies demand for new and raw materials and energy as well as the water needed to produce and the impact of the distribution of goods. I have been advised that France has already introduced legislation to ban the practice of destroying unused products, effectively from this year. The European Union is currently negotiating on implementing a similar ban through an eco-design regulation. Scotland is considering a similar provision for the circular economy. The Minister of State has been a great advocate and promoter and has driven the whole circular economy, for which I pay tribute to him.

This Bill makes sense. It is about championing the cause of waste reduction, promoting responsible consumer behaviour, encouraging the development of innovative recycling and resource management. I commend this Bill to the House.