Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 1

Written Answers. - Waste Disposal.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

13 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps being taken to ensure there are adequate facilities for the safe disposal of domestic fridges and freezers, having regard to the requirements of the new EU directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17350/02]

Bernard Allen

Question:

259 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he is satisfied that adequate measures are in place to allow for the safe disposal of house refrigerators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17644/02]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 259 together.

Since 1 January this year, Regulation EC 2037/2000 has required the recovery and destruction of ozone depleting substances contained in domestic refrigerators and freezers. In addition, European Commission Decision 2000/532/EC revised the EU list of hazardous waste to include, with effect from the same date, equipment which contains CFCs. These changes affect the disposal of fridges and freezers manufactured before 1994, which contain CFCs in insulating foam as well as in fridge coolant. While technology is available in Ireland for the removal of CFCs from the coolants, no equipment is yet available for the removal of the insulating foam. Accordingly since 1 January fridges and freezers cannot be dealt with by the traditional method of degassing, recovering the metal and sending the remaining waste to landfill.

I understand that in the absence of treatment facilities in Ireland, a problem also being experienced in other EU member states, a number of local authorities have made arrangements for the storage of fridges and freezers or for their export to appropriate European recovery facilities; such arrangements may involve co-operation with private waste companies. In the interests of a longer term solution and within the co-operative framework for the North-South Ministerial Council, my Department has developed an all-island approach in co-operation with the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. Tenders are now being sought on behalf of all local authorities on the island for the provision of a service for the management of waste fridges and freezers. It is expected that this tender process will be completed by the end of November.