Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2003

Vol. 560 No. 3

Written Answers. - Waste Disposal.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

129 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps being taken to ensure that there are adequate facilities for the safe disposal of domestic fridges and freezers, having regard to the requirements of the new EU directive; the progress which has been made with regard to the planned cross Border initiative in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2389/03]

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

Since 1 January 2002, 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 2002 fridges and freezers cannot be dealt with by the traditional method of degassing, recovering the metal for recycling and sending the remaining waste to landfill.

However, 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 of the North-South Ministerial Council, my Department has developed an all-island approach to this issue in co-operation with the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. Tenders were sought in September 2002 on behalf of all local authorities on the island for the provision of a service for the management of waste fridges and freezers. Closing date for receipt of tenders was 4 November 2002. Consultation of these tenders by a North-South evaluation group is now at an advanced stage, and is expected to conclude shortly.