Written answers

Wednesday, 13 April 2005

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Waste Management

9:00 pm

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will support the setting up of waste minimisation clubs to reduce waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11047/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The small change programme for businesses was published in 2004, following consultation with key stakeholders which included IBEC, Repak, local authorities, Chamber of Commerce of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Waste Management Association. The programme forms part of the race against waste campaign which is funded by my Department.

The programme provides information and support to businesses on waste minimisation and recycling. It consists of a printed guide, an information service, a website, www.raceagainstwaste.ie, and seminars, generally hosted in partnership with the chambers of commerce. Between February 2004 and June 2005 over 30 such seminars will have taken place throughout Ireland. The seminars are well attended and provide practical help and advice directly to businesses on how best to minimise and recycle waste.

The small change programme encourages the setting up of waste clubs by smaller organisations in order to improve their waste management systems and negotiate better terms and services from local waste contractors. Race Against Waste, working with local chambers of commerce, has helped set up a number of waste minimisation clubs which have now been operating for almost a year. The experience gained will inform the drafting of guidelines, to be launched later in the year, to help establish and maintain additional waste minimisation clubs.

Photo of Liam TwomeyLiam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new initiatives he intends to take to encourage recycling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11044/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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An effective basis for addressing our waste management responsibilities has been put in place through my Department's policy statements Changing Our Ways, September 1998, Delivering Change, March 2002, and Taking Stock and Moving Forward, April 2004, statutory waste management plans, largely prepared on a regional basis, and the comprehensive regulatory framework now in place under the Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2003.

The Government's approach is based on the internationally recognised hierarchy of waste management options which prioritises respectively waste prevention and minimisation, reuse, recycling and biological treatment, energy recovery and, finally, utilising landfill as the last resort for residual waste that cannot otherwise be recovered.

A range of measures designed to promote recycling are already in place and the available data shows that these are having a significant impact. These measures include the progressive roll-out of segregated household collection of dry recyclables, or kerbside green bin collection services, to over 560,000 households, or some 42% of all households in the State; the number of bring banks has doubled since 1998 and now stands at circa 1,700 and more are being provided on an ongoing basis; the number of civic amenity sites has nearly doubled, approximately 60 are currently in place and further recycling centres are at earlier stages of development; the mandatory obligation under the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003 on those placing packaging on the market to segregate specified packaging waste, for example, aluminium, fibreboard, glass, paper, plastic sheeting, steel and wood, arising on their premises and have it collected by authorised operators for recycling. It is widely accepted that this measure has contributed to a significant increase in the recycling rates for these materials in the commercial sector; the successful producer responsibility initiatives for packaging waste, farm plastics and construction and demolition wastes will be extended to other areas such as tyres, newsprint, end of life vehicles and electrical and electronic equipment; the development of markets for recyclable materials is to be taken forward under the aegis of a market development group which was established in July 2004; biodegradable municipal waste is now to be targeted for major improvements in recycling, and a national strategy on biodegradable waste to guide the efforts in this area will be finalised later this year; and the changeover to pay-by-use waste charging systems which commenced in January last will enable householders to reduce their waste charges by increasing their recycling rates thereby minimising the need for waste to be collected for disposal.

Significant progress has been made in raising recycling levels in Ireland in recent years. The latest figures available on municipal waste generation, recovery and disposal are contained in the National Waste Database Interim Report for 2003, published by the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2004, which reported that the recycling rate in the municipal waste stream has advanced to 28.4% in 2003, up from 20.7% in 2002. I envisage that further improvements in our recycling efforts will continue to be made as a result of the ongoing implementation of the local and regional waste management plans.

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