Written answers
Thursday, 22 February 2024
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Waste Management
Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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105. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of units deemed to have availed of a deposit return take back exemption, by county and by category of retail, in tabular form. [8479/24]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under the DRS regulations, retailers are obliged to charge the consumer a deposit for every in-scope drink sold, to take back the empty drink container and to refund the deposit when it is returned for recycling.
Some retailers may avail of an exemption to provide a take-back service, provided certain conditions are met. Retailers with a store size of less than 250m2, as well as those operating vending machines or online sales and for food-to-go and hospitality establishments may apply to Re-Turn for an exemption.
To date, almost 6,000 retail premises have availed of a take-back exemption. The table below provides details of those exemptions by category of retail. The data is not currently available on a county basis.
| Category | Number of Premises | % |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitality including gym, sports/golf clubs and cinemas | 2,904 | 49% |
| Schools, staff canteens & catering providers | 532 | 9% |
| Mobile vans, ice-cream parlours, juice bars, vending machines & online sales | 527 | 9% |
| Small retailers & other retail types that sell small volumes of containers (e.g. clothes and bookstores) | 2,023 | 34% |
| Total | 5,986 | 100% |
Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has had engagements with disposable nappy manufacturers to explore whether a more sustainable approach to disposing of used disposable nappies could be established (details supplied); the estimated percentage of nappies used for children deemed to be disposable versus reusable; if local communities can be empowered to help address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8550/24]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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An effective transition to a circular economy in Ireland will transform the way materials and resources are consumed, and how the products that households and businesses use are designed and marketed. It will also prevent waste generation, reduce consumption, and extend the productive life of goods. Delivering a circular economy will ensure a focus and increased consumer awareness on the broader impacts of consumption patterns beyond waste generation and enable more sustainable consumer choices.
Rather than engaging with individual sectors of the consumer goods market, for example producers of disposable nappies, my focus continues to be on changing consumption patterns across the economy as a whole. My Department therefore does not hold the specific information requested by the Deputy in relation to nappy usage in Ireland.
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