Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Waste Management.

Deirdre Clune

Question:

97 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the amount of packaging waste which was recycled in 1999, 2000 and to date in 2001; the way in which this figure is measured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26713/01]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

The EPA has responsibility for the compilation of national waste statistics. In accordance with Commission Decision 97/138/EC, pursuant to Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, the EPA is required to submit annual packaging waste returns to the European Commission within 18 months of the end of the relevant year. The return for 1999 estimated that 122,586 tonnes of packaging waste were recycled in that year, representing a recycling rate of 17.4% of packaging waste arisings. The recovery figures are estimated by aggregating the packaging waste reported as recovered by relevant companies.

Official statistics in respect of 2000 will not be available until early next year. However, Repak Limited, the voluntary compliance scheme established by Irish industry to co-ordinate the collection and recovery of packaging waste, has reported that approximately 146,000 tonnes of packaging waste were recycled under the Repak scheme in 2000. It is expected that over 25% of packaging waste – approximately 200,000 tonnes – will be recycled in 2001, in accordance with the targets set down in the packaging directive.