Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the estimated cost of operating a deposit scheme for drinks bottles and cans. [32184/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Repak is the approved producer responsibility compliance scheme for packaging in Ireland and is tasked with meeting recovery and recycling targets established under the EU Packaging Directive (94/62/EC).

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. A stakeholder consultation process was also conducted.

As part of this review, a wider examination of issues within the packaging sphere was undertaken and consideration was given to the introduction of a refundable deposit scheme for recyclables.

The review report did not recommend the introduction of a Deposit and Refund scheme and concluded that to establish such a scheme was 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.

Notwithstanding the above, the introduction of such a scheme is currently being considered in Scotland. A report commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland estimates that the cost of operating a deposit and refund scheme there would be in the region of £78 million sterling, including £15 million set-up costs.