Written answers

Wednesday, 30 November 2005

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Recycling Policy

9:00 pm

Photo of Billy TimminsBilly Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce a refundable deposit scheme at the point of sale on plastic and aluminium bottles and cans (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37317/05]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste is based on the concept of producer responsibility, which effectively requires producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end-of-life. Under the directive, Ireland was required to achieve a 25% recovery rate of packaging waste by 1 July 2001, increasing to a 50% recovery rate by 31 December 2005. Practical implementation of the directive in Ireland is organised mainly through a collective industry-based compliance scheme operated by Repak Limited which is working successfully and in 2001 met the target of 25% packaging waste recycling required by the directive.

The latest indications are that Ireland is on course to meet the higher recovery and recycling target of 50% specified for end 2005. The EPA has reported in its national waste database interim report for 2003, published in December 2004, that packaging waste recovery increased to 44% in that year, up from 35% in 2002.

While Article 15 of Directive 94/62/EC makes provision for member states to adopt economic measures, such as deposit and refund schemes, in support of the objectives of the directive, successful deposit and refund schemes operating internationally for beverage containers are generally located in those countries where there has been no break in the continuity and cultural tradition of deposit and refund arrangements. This is not the case in Ireland and there would now quite likely be significant costs involved in re-establishing deposit and refund arrangements here.

Account would also have to be taken of the possible impact on existing compliance arrangements. Given that these arrangements are achieving the desired result in relation to meeting the recycling targets, the introduction of deposit and refund schemes for beverage containers is not under consideration.

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