I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 50 together.
Section 29 of the Waste Management Act 1996 sets out comprehensive provisions relating to the recovery of waste, including enabling provision for the making of regulations requiring producers, distributors or retailers of specific products or substances to operate deposit and refund schemes in respect of such products or substances, or of any component of or packaging related to, such products or substances.
With regard to beverage containers, European Parliament and Council Directive 1994/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste is based on the concept of producer responsibility, which effectively requires producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end-of-life. Under the directive, Ireland was required to achieve a 25% recovery rate of packaging waste by 1 July 2001, increasing to a 50% recovery rate by 31 December 2005. Practical implementation of the directive in Ireland is organised mainly through a collective industry-based compliance scheme operated by Repak which is working successfully and in 2001 met the target of 25% packaging waste recycling required by the directive.
The EPA has reported in its National Waste Database Interim Report for 2002, published in June 2004, that packaging waste recovery increased further to an estimated 33% in that year. Progress has been further facilitated in the interim period arising from the implementation of the local and regional waste management plans, assisted by my Department from the environment fund, and new packaging regulations introduced last year requiring those who place packaging on the market to segregate their back-door packaging waste and have it collected by authorised operators. Bottles and cans sold and consumed in pubs, clubs and hotels are all covered and must now be recycled. The latest indications are that Ireland is on course to meet the higher recovery and recycling targets for end 2005.
Successful deposit and refund schemes operating internationally for beverage containers are generally located in those countries where there has been no break in the continuity and cultural tradition of deposit and refund arrangements. This is not the case in Ireland and there would now quite likely be significant costs involved in re-establishing deposit and refund arrangements here. Account would also have to be taken of the possible impact on existing compliance arrangements. Given that these arrangements are achieving the desired result in relation to meeting the recycling targets, the introduction of deposit and refund schemes for beverage containers is not under consideration.
The EU Commission published proposals in November 2003 for a directive on batteries, aimed primarily at increased collection and take-back of batteries, and their subsequent environmentally sound treatment and recovery, and the restriction on the use of hazardous substances in such products.
The use of economic instruments — including environmental levies, differentiated tax rates and deposit and refund schemes — to influence increased recovery of batteries by member states are being discussed in the context of the proposed directive. Pending the finalisation of the deliberations on the proposed directive, the introduction of deposit and refund arrangements for batteries is not under consideration.
