I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together.
Under the Single Use Plastics Directive, Ireland must achieve a collection target of 90% recycling for plastic bottles by 2029 with an interim target of 77% by 2025. A report prepared for my Department by Eunomia concluded that a deposit and return scheme (DRS) is considered to be the only feasible way to achieve the required levels of performance under the SUP Directive. The report also estimates that a DRS could reduce the cost of litter disamenity to communities by €95m, reduce littering by 85% and cut the tonnage of deposit-bearing containers that are landfilled or incinerated by 88%. The consequent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in a year is valued at €1.83 million, with the annual reduction in other air pollutants valued at €550,000.
In line with a commitment contained in Ireland’s new waste policy – A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy - I published the Eunomia report on 2 October alongside a consultation document setting out possible design options for how a producer-funded DRS would work in Ireland.