Vol. 573 No. 3
187 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the overall figure within her Department for the percentages, quantities and costs of recycled and non-recycled paper and paper products used by her Department in the last period for which figures are available; and the plans her 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. [25426/03]
The Department initiated the use of recycled photocopying paper at the beginning of March 2003. With the exception of a small amount of specialist colour print paper, estimated at less than 1%, all the Department's photocopying paper is made from recycled material. The cost of non-recycled photocopying paper in 2002 was €21,000. The estimated annual cost of recycled photocopying paper is €40,000.
As part of my Department's "greening" process, all waste paper in the Kildare Street building is recycled and it is proposed to extend these arrangements to the Department's other buildings over the next six months.
During 2003 the Department's strategy statement was published on recycled paper and the annual report was published on paper from sustainable forests using environmentally friendly elemental chlorine free processes. For 2004 it is proposed to promote electronic publication as an alternative to hard copy publication.
