Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2004
522 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to put structures in place in line with modern European economies which view waste as a product and raw material rather than a problem; his views on whether each time a shipload of waste is exported, jobs are exported and each time unprocessed waste is added to a landfill, wealth is buried; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31038/04]
View answerEU and national policy on waste management is firmly grounded on the internationally recognised waste hierarchy, which prioritises waste prevention, minimisation, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and the environmentally sound disposal of residual waste which cannot be recycled or recovered. The policy is reflected in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's policy documents, Changing our Ways, which was published in 1998, and Taking Stock, Moving Forward, which was published earlier this year. The publications are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Ireland is making significant progress towards attaining the targets set in Changing Our Ways. The 2002 interim national waste database report, which was published by the EPA, estimated that 20.7% of municipal — household and commercial — waste was recovered for recycling in 2002. That represents an increase on the 1998 rate of 9%. There are indications that the recycling position has improved further since 2002, following the implementation of the local and regional waste management plans. New packaging regulations introduced last year, requiring the segregation and recycling of specified back door packaging waste by producers, have influenced the increased recycling rates in the commercial sector.
Other recent significant initiatives include the establishment of a market development group to identify market opportunities for materials recovered for recycling. It is hoped to publish a market development programme in early 2005. The draft national waste prevention programme, drawn up by a core prevention team established earlier this year in the EPA, has been published. A draft national biodegradable waste strategy, setting out a range of integrated measures aimed at providing an effective basis for the achievement of the 2013 biodegradable waste target, was published earlier this year for public consultation. Initiatives have been proposed for end of life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, newsprint and tyres.
International trade in waste is not inconsistent with the Government's policy, which clearly prioritises the prevention, reuse and recycling of waste, rather than its disposal. The OECD's decision on the control of transboundary movement of waste destined for recovery operations notes that the recovery of valuable materials and energy from waste is an integral part of the international economic system and that well established markets exist for and can contribute to the collection and processing of such materials within member countries.
