Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the expansion of the plastic bag levy to cover both plastic bottles and aluminium cans; the amount of revenue this would raise if implemented at a level similar to that applied to plastic bags; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37871/09]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on a tax on plastic water bottles to aid funding the disposal of plastic bottle waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37587/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 256 and 259 together.

Economic instruments such as the levy on plastic bags can contribute to the achievement of environmental objectives. Directive 94/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste (the Packaging Directive) 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 original 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. All beverage containers, including plastic bottles and aluminium cans, are considered packaging.

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. Directive 2004/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Packaging Directive introduces a new increased packaging waste recovery target of 60% (with 55% by way of recycling) as well as material specific recycling targets for glass, paper/board, metals, plastics and wood. The National Waste Report 2007 states that packaging waste recovery increased to 63.6% in that year, indicating that Ireland has met and exceeded the target recovery rate of 60% set by the Packaging Directive for 2011.

The recycling target for plastics, which Ireland has to achieve by 2011, is 22.5%. Ireland is well on the way to meeting this target, with the recycling rate for plastic packaging in 2007 at 22.1%. Where there is no material specific target under the Packaging Directive in relation to aluminium, Ireland achieved a recycling rate of 26.8% in 2007.

I fully recognise that despite progress on recycling we need to continue to improve our performance. The comprehensive review of waste management policy, which I initiated in July 2008, will be informed by the major international report on waste management policy recently concluded by consultants. My Department is currently examining this report and its recommendations with a view to determining what further measures may be necessary to underpin sustainable waste management services. As part of the review process, the inter-related issues of enhanced producer responsibility (including the broadening of producer responsibility to a wider range of products) together with the increased use of economic instruments on specified materials are under examination.