Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 1854: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action taken in relation to plastic bottle waste from the time it is collected from a local authority recycling bin. [1792/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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National waste statistics for all waste streams are published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most recently in National Waste Report 2005. National Waste Reports do not provide separate data for plastic bottles but successive reports have shown increases in the recovery rate for plastic packaging; this is recovered both through segregated collections in some areas and through the expanded national network of bring banks and civic amenity sites put in place in recent years. The recovery rate for plastic packaging increased from 0.6% in 1998 to 24.1% in 2005, which exceeds the material specific target for 2011 set for plastic packaging recovery in the Directive 2004/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the original Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste.

The National Waste Report 2005 also indicates the Ireland relies significantly on foreign based materials recycling infrastructure. The Report states that of 50,859 tonnes (86.7%) of plastic waste — including plastic packaging — were exported for recycling in 2005 while 7,828 tonnes (13.3%) were recycled in Ireland. 30,522 tonnes were exported to the United Kingdom, the principal destination for plastic waste exported from Ireland, while a further 16,467 tonnes were exported to China, the next most common destination.

The export of waste is regulated by local authorities, in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No. 259/93 of 1 February 1993 on the supervision and control of waste within, into and out of, the European Community. Shipments of waste for recovery which are in compliance with the EU Waste Shipment Regulation are permissible to non-EU destinations subject to any applicable restrictions of that Regulation.

While there has been recent progress in the provision of more infrastructure within Ireland to process materials recovered for recycling, for example in the development of new facilities to process waste electrical and electronic equipment, it should be noted that clean segregated materials are a sought after resource which are freely traded under EU and international law. This is supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Decision of C(92)39 Final on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations which notes that the recovery of valuable materials and energy from wastes is an integral part of the international economic system and that well established markets exist for, and can contribute to, the collection and processing of such materials within OECD member countries.

While international trade in waste is consistent with Government policy insofar as it supports improved performance in recycling, the Government also recognises the value of a more developed recycling infrastructure in Ireland. To this effect, a Market Development Group was established by Government in 2004 with a view to identifying market opportunities for materials recovered for recycling. A Market Development Programme — focusing on the priority waste streams of paper, plastic and organics — is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.