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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Recycling Policy.

Ciarán Cuffe

Ceist:

290 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the overall figure within his Department for the percentages, quantities and costs of recycled and non-recycled paper and paper products used by his Department in the last period for which figures are available; and the plans his Department has to increase its use of recycled paper and paper products, and cut down on the use of non-recycled paper and paper products. [25448/03]

All the paper used in my Department is supplied by contractors approved by the Government Supplies Agency.

Between January and September 2003, the Department obtained approximately 24,000 reams of photocopy paper – 500 pages per ream – at a cost of €56,981. Of this amount, €6,292.63 was for recycled paper, which represents approximately 11% of all photocopy paper purchased. The vast majority of paper purchased is of the virgin white non-recycled type, which is of a higher quality and more economically priced.

In the same period, the Department purchased 24,200 printed manila file covers made of 100% recycled paper at a cost of €24,793 and approximately 995,600 envelopes at a cost of €22,628.58. The vast majority of envelopes used by the Department are manufactured from material which is 100% recycled with a minimum post-consumer waste of 50%. The envelopes also qualify for the Blue Angel logo, an internationally recognised and highly regarded environmental accreditation. Officers are also encouraged to make use of reusable circulation envelopes for distributing internal mail.

The Department is committed, wherever practicable and cost-effective, to increasing the use of recycled paper in the Department. The Deputy may wish to note that the stationery being printed for Ireland's Presidency of the European Union is being printed on recycled paper. Almost all the waste paper generated by the Department in its Dublin offices is recycled.

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