Vol. 558 No. 3
187 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the trend in the replacement by plastic of the paper potato sacks here; and if he will consider creating an incentive to reverse this trend in view of the acknowledged litter problem created by plastic bags and sacks in rural and urban areas. [24092/02]
I am aware of the increasing replacement of paper packaging with plastic in the agricultural sector, particularly in the areas of animal feed and vegetable packaging. Article 18 of Directive No. 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste prohibits member states from impeding the placing on the market of packaging that satisfies the provisions of the directive, which is in accordance with the essential requirements specified in annexe II of the directive as to the composition and the reusable and recoverable nature of packaging.
In accordance with the principle of producer responsibility, necessary measures are required to ensure that systems are set up to provide for the return and/or collection of used packaging, and for the reuse or recovery, including recycling, of the packaging waste collected, to assist in meeting the packaging waste recovery and recycling targets set for Ireland in Directive No. 94/62/EC. Producer responsibility initiatives already operate in the areas of packaging waste and farm plastics waste, such as Repak in the case of packaging waste and Irish Farm Film Producers Group in the case of farm plastics, for example, silage bale wrap and sheeting. In these cases producers are required to take steps to recover waste or alternatively to contribute to, and participate in, compliance schemes set up to recover the waste in question.
My Department will keep the use of plastic packaging in the agricultural and other sectors under review and will consider whether further arrangements are required to improve its collection and recovery.
