Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which plastic reduction measures have been successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10780/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Plastic is a valuable material in modern society however when it is not properly managed, it can have serious negative effects on the environment and human health. In 2017, the impact of plastics rose to a new level of prominence following David Attenborough’s “Blue Planet” series. Since then, there have been significant developments in plastics policy both in Ireland and at EU level, most notably the EU’s Plastic Strategy, 2018 and Single Use Plastics Directive, 2019 as well as Ireland’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, 2020. Measuring the impact of these policies is key to success.

Ireland transposed the SUP (Single Use Plastic) Directive last year. It banned a range of single-use items from July 2021. Further measures will be introduced this year and in coming years which will significantly reduce the impact of SUP items in use, including:

- A Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans which will be introduced later this year;

- Measures to reduce disposable beverage cups and food containers; starting with the introduction of a so-called ‘latte levy’; and

- A number of new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for tobacco products, balloons, wet wipes and fishing gear.New data collection arrangements to capture the volume of SUPs placed on the market and disposed of at end of life take effect this year. The outputs from this will provide essential insights into the success or otherwise of the reduction measures in place and will be used to inform the design of future interventions.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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201. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which waste management is being utilised in the context of carbon reduction and waste to heat combinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10781/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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In Ireland, the management and treatment of waste is carried out in accordance with national and European legislation, and in line with policy frameworks such as the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, 2020. These policies and laws set out a hierarchy for the management and treatment of waste generated within the country.  The preferred treatment option for residual municipal waste is management via high efficiency thermal treatment, which includes energy production in line with national and European policies.

In Ireland, there are currently two dedicated recovery facilities which are classified as high efficiency thermal treatment or Energy from Waste facilities; one operated by Covanta in Dublin and the other by Indaver in County Meath.  Together these plants are licensed to treat 835,000 tonnes of non-hazardous municipal waste for energy recovery.  The two facilities currently produce electricity, which is exported to the national grid. The Energy from Waste facility located in Dublin is also designed and capable of operating as a high efficiency Combined Heat and Power Facility, which can utilise some of the heat produced at the facility as a heat source for a district heating network.  Dublin City Council is currently in the process of developing a district heating network to utilise this heat for space and hot water within the city displacing alternative higher carbon generators.  In addition, three cement kilns are currently licensed to accept solid recovered fuel (SRF) derived from waste for co-incineration at their plants.  In 2021, these cement kilns processed in excess of 237,000 tonnes of SRF, which replaced fossil fuels such as gas.