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Food Industry.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2005

Tuesday, 8 February 2005

Questions (475)

Willie Penrose

Question:

525 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to compel manufacturers to market food and food products in biodegradable containers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3536/05]

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Written answers

Article 18 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste prohibits member states from impeding the placing on the market of packaging which satisfies the provisions of the directive, namely, which is in accordance with the essential requirements specified in Annex II of the directive as to the composition and the reusable and recoverable nature of packaging. On foot of these provisions, the introduction of controls restricting the packaging of food and food products to biodegradable containers is not under consideration. However, on foot of a study carried out for my Department, I will be engaging with the fast-food sector to seek their co-operation in addressing the use of non-biodegradable fast-food packaging.

The packaging directive is premised on the principle of producer responsibility which requires waste producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end-of-life. Under the directive, Ireland was required to achieve a 25% recovery rate of packaging waste by 1 July 2001, increasing to a 50% recovery rate by 31 December 2005. Practical implementation of the directive in Ireland is by way of a producer responsibility initiative, underpinned by the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003, as amended, which replaced earlier regulations introduced in 1997. Under the regulations, producers are required to take steps to recover packaging waste or alternatively to contribute to, and participate in, compliance schemes set up to recover packaging waste.

Packaging waste recovery is organised mainly through a collective industry-based compliance scheme operated by Repak Limited — established by Irish industry in 1997 to promote, co-ordinate and finance the collection and recovery of packaging waste with a view to achieving Ireland's packaging waste recovery and recycling targets under Directive 1994/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste — which is the only such approved compliance scheme. Significant progress has been made in the recovery of packaging waste and in 2001, Ireland assisted by Repak, met the target of 25% packaging waste recovery target required by the directive.

The latest indications are that Ireland is on course to meet the higher recovery and recycling targets specified for end 2005. The EPA has reported in its national waste database interim report for 2003 — published in December 2004 — that packaging waste recovery increased to an estimated 42% in that year up from 33% in 2002.

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