Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether those companies categorised as self-compliers under the waste regulations are meeting their responsibilities to inform consumers that they are obliged to take back packaging waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11037/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003 as amended, which revised and replaced previous regulations made in 1997, are intended to facilitate the achievement by Ireland of the 50% packaging waste recovery target by end 2005 as set out in Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. These regulations provide the necessary legal framework to facilitate the recovery and recycling of packaging waste in Ireland.

All producers, including retailers, participating in the placing of packaging on the Irish market must segregate the packaging waste arising on their own premises into specified waste streams, that is, waste aluminium, fibreboard, glass, paper, plastic sheeting, steel and wood, and have it collected by authorised operators for recycling. In addition, major producers, that is, those who have an annual turnover in excess of €1 million and who place more than 25 tonnes of packaging on the Irish market, have additional responsibilities with regard to the recovery of packaging waste from their customers.

Under the 2003 packaging regulations, major producers have the option of either complying directly with their producer responsibility obligations, that is, self-compliance or, alternatively, getting an exemption from those requirements by becoming a member of a packaging waste compliance scheme. Repak Limited, established by Irish industry in 1997 to promote, co-ordinate and finance the collection and recovery of packaging waste with a view to achieving Ireland's packaging waste recovery and recycling targets under Directive 94/62/EC, is the sole approved compliance scheme for the recovery of packaging waste in Ireland.

Major producers, who opt to self-comply with the regulations, are required, inter alia, to accept from any person, free of charge, at each premises from which packaging, packaging materials or packaged products is supplied, packaging waste of a type or brand supplied by that major producer and adequate facilities must be provided by that major producer at each of the relevant premises for the acceptance, segregation and storage of such packaging waste from customers. A further obligation on self-compliers includes the placement of a sign at each entrance to each premises from which packaging, packaging materials or packaged products is supplied, informing the public that packaging waste of a type or brand supplied by that major producer will be accepted free of charge at that premises for the purposes of recovery.

I have recently made amending regulations to further streamline the existing 2003 packaging regulations. One of the principal changes under the new regulations is the introduction of a requirement on self-complying major producers to place notices in local newspapers at least twice a year — in the months of March and September — advertising their take-back facilities and their obligation to take-back, from members of the public, packaging waste free of charge of a type or brand supplied from their respective premises.

In addition, an obligation has also been introduced on local authorities to advertise lists at least once a year of major producers in their respective functional areas who are obliged to take-back packaging waste from members of the public. These new provisions will, together with the existing obligations for signage at each entrance to each premises, greatly enhance public awareness of the self-compliance take-back obligations with regard to packaging waste placed on the Irish market.