Directive 94/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste (the Packaging Directive) classifies items such as bottles, drink cans and containers as packaging.
While such packaging is not currently subject to a levy, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to drive a waste reduction programme as part of the overall policy in the area of a sustainable waste strategy. One of the possible elements of this waste reduction programme is the introduction of a levy on packaging.
I recently consulted with industry, other stakeholders and the public on a possible levy on packaging. This consultation closed on Friday 5 August 2011 and the submissions and comments received are currently being examined.
Environmental levies are currently in place on plastic bags and waste deposited to landfill. Revenues from these levies are paid into a ‘ring-fenced' Environment Fund and can be used to support activities that are of benefit to the environment. Details of expenditure from the Environment Fund are available in the published Environment Fund Annual Accounts. Copies up to and including 2009 are available from the Oireachtas library and are on my Department's website www.environ.ie.
Section 74(9) of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended, specifies the purposes for which payments may be made from the Environment Fund. These include assistance in a range of areas such as:
schemes to prevent/reduce waste;
waste recovery activities;
research & development into waste management;
production, distribution or sale of products deemed to be less harmful to the environment than other similar products;
development of producer initiatives to prevent/reduce waste arising from their activities;
implementation of waste management plans;
enforcement of the provisions of any enactment relating to waste management, prevention of litter or protection of the environment;
partnership projects, that involve local authorities, to improve the quality of the environment for particular local communities;
promotion of awareness of the need to protect the environment, including national and regional campaigns;
promotion /support of education and training to assist achievement of campaign objectives;
resources (human or material) to enable education and training to be carried out;
initiatives undertaken by community groups and others for protection of the environment;
to facilitate, assist, support or promote initiatives undertaken by international organisations or other persons outside the State in respect of the protection of the environment or sustainable development or both;
and
such other purposes for protection of the environment as may be prescribed by the Minister in regulations.