Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason farmers who buy plastics for silage and pay the levy for recycling when buying are being charged again when the plastic is being picked up for recycling. [12613/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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A successful Producer Responsibility Initiative has been in operation since 1997 in relation to farm film/silage bale wrap. Producers - manufacturers and importers - pay a levy of €127 per tonne of farm plastic placed on the market to a compliance scheme, the Irish Farm Films Producers Group (IFFPG), who in turn have been required to meet targets for the recovery and recycling of farm plastic. IFFPG members placed 13,262 tonnes of farm film/silage bale wrap on the market during 2010 while 19,864 tonnes was collected by IFFPG for recycling.

In the period up to 2005, demand for the service provided by IFFPG grew to exceed the capacity of the scheme. Consideration was given in early 2006, by my Department, in consultation with various stakeholders including farming organisations, to various mechanisms to address the need to ensure that sufficient resources were available to the scheme to meet future demand for collections while at the same time dealing fairly with accumulations of farm plastics on farms across the country. Following these consultations, the then Minister announced in May 2006 that IFFPG could derive an additional income from weight-based collection charges.

This was aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the scheme by incentivising the presentation of clean, dry plastic by farmers. The effect of the introduction of a charge has been to ensure that the availability of collections of farm plastics can match demand on an ongoing basis and to improve the quality of the material being collected. In addition, IFFPG also introduced a labelling system to improve traceability of levied plastic which supports compliance with the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001, with each label bearing a unique number.

In order to address the issue of accumulated backlogs of farm plastic on farms in 2005, designated facilities were provided on a temporary basis by local authorities where farmers could deposit stockpiled farm plastic free of charge. These once-off free collections allowed farmers the opportunity to deposit any accumulated plastic purchased under the terms of the original scheme, which was based upon free collections.

The operation of temporary bring facilities proved popular with farmers and, in consultation with stakeholders, the IFFPG have now developed a calendar of collections nationwide where farmers can deposit bale wrap and silage wrap. These collections have been in operation since 2008. Farmyard collections are still available from IFFPG but as they are more expensive to operate they involve a higher charge.

While farm plastics deposited at temporary bring sites are weight-based they are subsidised through the levy on producers where evidence is produced by the farmer that the levy has been paid (i.e. on production of a valid label code). Higher collection fees apply to farmers who cannot provide a unique label reference; consequently, any farmer who sources farm film/silage bale wrap from outside the State or from non-compliant producers has to pay higher waste management costs.

The enhancements to the scheme, including the use of temporary collection points, the introduction of weight based charges and the development of a new labelling system to support compliance, were introduced at the behest of the scheme and with the support of farmers and the Irish Farmers Association.