Vol. 431 No. 1
41 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for the Environment if, in view of the fact that returnable containers are widely considered to be the least environmentally damaging way of packaging drinks and other products in most instances and the most effective way of reducing packaging waste, he will introduce legislation making it advantageous or obligatory for industry to use reusable containers.
, Wexford): There are clear environmental benefits in the use of returnable containers. Changes in sales patterns in recent decades have however brought new packaging systems and materials to the market place. This is a complex issue which is now being carefully assessed with a view to appropriate action both in the context of the proposed EC Directive on packaging waste and of the recently published national recycling strategy study.
