John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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88. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the grants available from his Department or other State agencies to persons interested in advancing a proposal to recycle spent coffee grounds rather than sending the waste to landfill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1172/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As alluded to by the Deputy, as an organic waste, coffee grinds should not be sent to landfill. At a minimum the Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations must be complied with. These require many types of businesses to separate and appropriately disposal of organic wastes. The 'My Waste for Business' resource (www.mywaste.ie/business) provides more information on managing waste responsibly.

My Department's enterprise development agencies - Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices - provide advice and supports to businesses of different sizes, sectors and ambitions. These can include resources to assist with implementing circular economy initiatives such as the GreenStart, GreenPlus and Green for Micro programmes; however the appropriate support will depend on the nature of the entity looking for assistance. Talking to a Local Enterprise Office is always a useful starting point for new entities or small businesses.

If the entity is a Social Enterprises may be able to access different supports or grants, and the Department of Rural and Community Development publishes a useful supports and resources table for Social Enterprises on their website.

Circuléire is a cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland and aims to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across their membership. It may be able to provide useful information or advice regarding the proposal.

I would encourage businesses interested in circular economy practices to engage with Climate Toolkit for Business (climatetoolkit4business.gov.ie) which was recently I launched recently with Minister Ryan. The Toolkit provides an estimate of a user's carbon footprint based on some simple information input by them, then generates a tailored action plan and points to relevant state supports that can assist in implementing its recommended actions - including in the area of materials and waste management.