Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 5

Written Answers. - Recycling Schemes.

Michael McDowell

Ceist:

35 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to support recycling schemes throughout the country, in view of the willingness of the public to involve themselves in such schemes as the Kerbside scheme in Dublin.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

150 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment the progress, if any, made in achieving the guidelines set out in recommendation 81/972/EEC.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Mr. Browne,

Wexford): I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 150 together.

Important measures have already been developed in support of greater recycling throughout the country. In 1990, local authorities were asked by the Minister for the Environment to prepare recycling schemes for their areas, identifying recycling possibilities and the means for facilitating and promoting these. Schemes have now been prepared for 32 local authority areas.

My Department has operated a scheme of capital grant assistance for recycling projects for the past four years, and this will continue in 1993. Many projects throughout the country have already been supported under this scheme. including the Kerbside project in Dublin; a large number of these projects involve collection of paper for recycling. ENFO has produced a range of information leaflets relating to recycling, including particulars of the location of recycling facilities.

Considerable progress in recycling rates has accompanied these various measures. Glass recycling has increased from 7 per cent in 1986 to more than 20 per cent at present, and aluminium can recovery has risen in the same period from virtually zero to 12 per cent. The paper recovery rate now stands at some 16 per cent.

A consultants' report on the development of a national recycling strategy has been completed, and I intend to publish it very shortly, with a view to obtaining comments from all interested parties. The report and the consultative process will place particular focus on the practical merits, in Irish circumstances, of different approaches to recycling.