Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the engagement his Department has had with the supermarket sector to encourage the reduction in use of non-recyclable plastic in all aspects of their operating procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48451/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Major retailers, including supermarkets, are required by EU law to join an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging. In Ireland, Repak operates the sole EPR approved under packaging legislation. The EPR model provides that members pay fees in accordance with the volume and type of packaging they place on the Irish market. These fees are eco-modulated, meaning packaging which is harder to recycle attracts a higher fee than more readily recyclable alternatives. Repak uses those fees to subsidise the collection and recycling of waste packaging materials collected from households and business.

The recently introduced EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) aims to reduce the generation of packaging waste, with a particular focus on plastic packaging. Measures under the regulation come into effect from August 2026. These include improving packaging design so it is recycled, increasing the levels of recycled content in packaging, promoting re-use and refill measures as well as introducing bans for specific packaging formats.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment's Retail Forum is a platform for discussion between the retail sector and Government on issues affecting retail. That forum provides an opportunity for members to stay up to date with government policy developments, including the circular economy. I understand that the PPWR has been proposed as a topic for a future meeting of the forum.