Fees from member businesses finance Repak Ltd's activities. The company commenced this year with a substantial capital balance, and income is expected to exceed £10 million over the year. Revenue generated has to date been applied mainly to support the collection and recovery of packaging waste from the domestic waste stream, and in this regard funding has been provided in support of Kerbside Dublin, Gandon Enterprises Ltd., the Rehab Recycling Partnership, and a number of companies engaged in waste recovery activities. The company is also providing a free uplift service for in-house packaging waste generated by members this year. Repak recently announced details of a new payments scheme to incentivise waste contractors to recover additional volumes of packaging waste. Repak funding is also available for the establishment by local authorities of segregated household waste collection services such as that initiated in the Dublin region.
Some months ago, I appointed consultants to review and evaluate Repak's performance to date; the prospects for achieving Ireland's packaging waste recovery target for 2001, having regard to the activities of Repak and other relevant or prospective developments; and the additional measures or structures which appear to be required in order the meet Ireland's packaging waste recycling/recovery targets for 2006.
This review will include recommendations regarding further measures that could be undertaken by Repak Ltd. to support the recovery of packaging waste from the municipal waste stream, increase the recovery rate for packaging waste generally and support the development of indigenous reprocessing capacity for packaging waste.
I expect to have the final report of the consultants very shortly.