Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 November 2020
86. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the actions taken regarding clothing and textiles deposited in clothing banks and unused clothing and textiles from the charity industry; the regulations and checks in place to ensure environmentally safe disposal of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37480/20]
View answerTextiles including clothes which have been donated for reuse are not waste but are in fact valuable resources. This is recognised in the recently published Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. A series of actions is set out in the Plan to ensure Ireland protects these resources and fosters sustainable textile production and consumption practices. In 2021, the European Commission is to produce a comprehensive EU Strategy for Textiles and this will provide a positive policy context for our national measures. Regrettably some textiles continue to be discarded as waste rather than donated for reuse. The EPA’s 2018 Waste Characterisation Study found that textiles made up 10% of our general waste bins and 3% of our recycling bins. Where textiles are disposed of as waste, they are subject to the same legislative provisions under Waste Management legislation as other materials and must be disposed of appropriately using permitted waste collection services or facilities. A list of approved waste collectors is available on the website of the National Waste Collection Permitting Office. https://www.nwcpo.ie/permitsearch.aspx
I understand that clothing banks are not always clear about who is collecting the materials and what the final use and destination of those materials will be. As Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I have no remit in relation to the planning rules around the placing or labelling of these receptacles. However I have committed in our new Waste Action Plan to review the regulation of textile collection banks for compatibility with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. Improved transparency and traceability around the collection of these materials should increase the volume of textiles that are retained in Ireland to the benefit of local charities and communities.
