Vol. 573 No. 3
644 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the measures he intends to take to reduce the amount of packaging on products which are sold here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24928/03]
Article 18 of European Parliament and Council Directive 1994/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste prohibits member states from impeding the placing on the market of packaging which satisfies the provisions of the directive – that is, which is in accordance with the essential requirements specified in annex II of the directive as to the composition and the reusable and recoverable nature of packaging. Notwithstanding this, I share the Deputy's concerns with regard to the over-packaging of certain goods. Excessive packaging is generated through a combination of poor packaging design, inefficient production or manufacturing processes, and unsustainable consumption patterns – for example, by purchasing excessively packaged products. Taking action to prevent waste being generated in the first place is fundamental to the overriding objective of decoupling economic growth from growth in waste arisings.
The principle of producer responsibility requires waste producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end-of-life. In support of this approach, a producer responsibility initiative already operates in Ireland in relation to packaging waste, underpinned by the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003, which replaced earlier regulations introduced in 1997. Under the regulations, producers are required to take steps to recover packaging waste or alternatively to contribute to, and participate in, compliance schemes set up to recover packaging waste.
Repak Limited – established by Irish industry in 1997 to promote, co-ordinate and finance the collection and recovery of packaging waste with a view to achieving Ireland's packaging waste recovery and recycling targets under European Parliament and Council Directive 1994/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste – is the only such approved compliance scheme. While Repak's primary role is to support the recycling of packaging waste rather than packaging minimisation, the fees structure applicable to its members, which is related to the type and amount of packaging placed on the market, reflects the polluter pays principle and directly incentivises the minimisation and reuse of packaging by producers.
As undertaken in An Agreed Programme for Government and in my Department's policy document, Delivering Change, an ambitious national waste prevention programme is being developed. This programme aims to deliver significant improvements in waste prevention and minimisation across all waste streams, including packaging. Work is now at an advanced stage in establishing a core prevention team in the Environmental Protection Agency, which will have the task of developing the programme in consultation with other stakeholders. It is intended to complete the establishment of the team later this year. Funding of €2 million from the environment fund has been provided for the national waste prevention programme in 2003.
