Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

275. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce monetary rewards for the return of glass bottles as is in place in other jurisdictions as an incentive for recycling glass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14631/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In July 2014, the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government published a Review of the Producer Responsibility Initiative Model in Ireland. The aim of the review was to assess the nature and level of the challenges which are currently facing the existing Producer Responsibility Agreements, as well as the forthcoming challenges that are expected to arise in the management of various waste streams. My Department also completed a consultation process with stakeholders on this issue.

As part of this review, my Department sought a wider examination of issues within the packaging sphere, including consideration of a package levy and a “bring back” scheme for waste, including glass. The review was asked to consider:-

(i) an economic analysis of the possible effects of a packaging levy,

(ii) options on how a possible packaging levy might operate,

(iii) possible alternatives to a packaging levy which would yield corresponding reductions in packaging,

(iv) how a packaging levy might work in tandem with and affect the operation of the compliance schemes, and

(v) an examination of packaging reduction initiatives such as deposit and refund and reverse vending.

The review report did not recommend the introduction of a Deposit and Refund scheme as to establish such a scheme was considered inappropriate, in view of the operation of the existing packaging scheme (operated by Repak), and policies concerning household waste collection, plus the high administrative costs of introducing such a system.

In addition, the review did not recommend the introduction of a packaging levy. The main reason for this decision was that the introduction of a packaging levy was likely to generate a number of regulatory costs to business and the public sector with few identifiable benefits, given Ireland’s very successful packaging recovery and recycling performance to date.

The review report is available on my Department’s website at the following link:.