Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 244: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the infrastructure which exists for the collection and reprocessing of recycled polystyrene products. [4467/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Polystyrene is widely used internationally as protective packaging in the transport of electrical and other goods. It is also used in meat trays, egg cartons, hot beverage cups and other fast food packaging. While polystyrene can be recycled — for example, for insulation and other building products — there are limited outlets for it in Ireland. There is some processing activity relating to the remoulding and manufacture of roof slates and also a compacting operation of the material into blocks which are exported. However, the overall scale of these activities is limited. There are no official data on the amount of polystyrene put on the market in Ireland.

Polystyrene recycling is also fairly limited in other EU member states where, because of its high calorific value, a significant proportion of the material collected is used as feedstock in thermal treatment plants. The recycling of polystyrene is particularly hindered by its high volume to weight ratio and the associated costs of collecting such material.

With a view to facilitating the increased recovery of waste generally on an all-island basis, a North-South market development group was established last year to identify market opportunities for materials, including plastic materials, recovered for recycling. The group is developing a market development programme which will be published later this year.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 245: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the infrastructure which exists for the collection and reprocessing of recycled cigarette papers and the inner lining of cigarette packets. [4468/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am not aware of any reprocessing capacity in Ireland for cigarette papers and the inner lining of cigarette packets. The selection of materials for recycling must of necessity be done on a targeted basis. Having regard to the types and volumes of the materials mentioned, it would not appear economically viable specifically to target those materials for collection and recycling. However, in those households served with segregated collection of dry recyclables, the light cardboard outer packaging on cigarette packets can be deposited in the recyclables wheelie bin for recycling.