Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 542: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposals he has to introduce new measures, whether by way of producer or consumer levies or otherwise to enforce the polluter pays principals; the particular waste streams or sections involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35316/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The polluter pays principle, which underpins national and European Union policy in the area of waste management, seeks to encourage all of society to reduce, reuse and recycle waste to the maximum extent possible. The use of economic and market-based instruments such as landfill taxes, environmental levies and pay-by-use is widespread throughout Europe. Where economic instruments are well designed and targeted, case studies show that even quite small changes in price/cost can send strong signals as to desired behaviour. The operation of the plastic bags levy is an excellent example of the impact which such instruments can have in achieving such behavioural change. Under national policy, economic instruments form part of an integrated range of measures — comprising legislation, producer responsibility initiatives, awareness campaigns and the provision of infrastructure — to support the achievement of environmental objectives in terms of promoting waste prevention and facilitating materials recovery and recycling.

In Ireland, the plastic bag and landfill levies have been in place since March 2002 and Pay-by-Use was extended nationwide during 2005. These measures have contributed to the success achieved in recent years in the growth in recycling and to a decline in the degree of reliance on landfill. It is a matter for individual Member States to decide on the extent to which such measures are used.

Significant strides have also been made in recent years in ensuring that the price of waste management activities reflects the costs associated with such activities. Problematic individual waste streams such as packaging, electrical and electronic equipment and farm plastics have been tackled through producer responsibility initiatives which are based on the polluter pays principle and which are now operating successfully in Ireland. Further progress to expand producer responsibility to other waste streams is continuing and my Department is working with the relevant sectors of industry in developing similar initiatives for other waste streams such as tyres, newsprint and batteries.

In addition, the Programme for Government provides for a comprehensive review of waste management planning which I have directed my Department to initiate. This review will, inter alia, look at the desirability of other producer responsibility schemes, including deposit and refund for beverage containers. In the interim, I have recently challenged the packaging industry to develop appropriate measures to address packaging waste litter, in particular in relation to beverage containers, and to examine voluntary measures to promote packaging waste prevention and minimisation. My Department is committed to continuing discussions on these issues in the context of finalising a four-year strategy for the packaging waste sector; this is currently being developed under the aegis of the National Strategy Group on Packaging Waste Recycling which is representative of the relevant public and private sector stakeholders, including Repak.

The overriding environmental aim of these measures is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources, reduce negative environmental impacts and reverse trends in waste generation.