Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1025. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he is taking to require the food industry to reduce the amount of packaging it uses; his views on the operation of a company (details supplied) in view of the fact that the scheme does not incentivise the use of recyclable materials or reduce the overall level of packaging; and his plans to address this matter. [34699/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Minister, I am responsible for the administration of the EU Packaging Directive, which is transposed in Ireland by the European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014.Under the Regulations, at least 60% of packaging waste must be recovered and 55% must be recycled. The most recent Waste Packaging Statistics for Ireland, published by the EPA in May 2016, show that Ireland has met and exceeded the overall packaging waste recovery rate and the recycling rate targets since they came into force.  Our recovery rate has gone from 70% in 2009 to 88% in 2013; and our recycling rate has gone from 65% in 2009 to 70% in 2013.  Specific material streams for 2013 are shown in the following table:

Repak is the approved producer responsibility compliance scheme for packaging in Ireland and it is tasked with meeting recovery and recycling targets established under the EU Packaging Directive.  Repak members pay fees based on the amount of packaging they place on the market and this incentivises them to reduce packaging.

A lot of work has been done by Repak members to prevent and minimise the amount of packaging they require. With the assistance of the EPA, Repak’s Prevent and Save initiative funded under the National Waste Prevention Programme, has worked with Irish business to reduce packaging and to promote packaging improvements across industry. Under the initiative, specialist packaging technologists look for ways to optimise the packaging used and to minimise any resulting packaging waste. Further information can be found on www.repak.ie/preventandsave.

Furthermore, as Minister, I have advanced a range of initiatives to reduce Ireland's food waste, including the expansion of the Stop Food Waste campaign, the launch of a Food Waste Charter, the establishment of an Action Group on Food Waste Prevention in the Retail Sector, imposing a requirement on industry for the nationwide roll-out of "brown bins" for food/organic waste management to all communities with a population of 500 people, and the organising of an awareness and educational media campaign to help households to use their 'brown bins' and reduce their food waste.