Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2013
382. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will identify some of the measures being taken to promote cost reductions for small and medium enterprises particularly in relation to waste costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19762/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s new waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, was published in July 2012. The policy has a clear focus on
resource efficiency and on building a sustainable approach to the management of our waste. Among the measures contained in the policy, which will play an
important role in the provision of effective and efficient delivery of waste management services are a reduction in the number of waste management planning
regions from 10 to 3, a significant revision of the regulation of waste collection to ensure the delivery of both improved environmental and service outcomes, and a
review of the delivery of waste enforcement services.
In addition, the policy reflects the waste hierarchy and will focus on waste prevention and the preparation for reuse of goods. Both of these tiers provide
opportunities for businesses to reduce their environmental impact and to reduce their costs. Ireland has a well-established National Waste Prevention Programme
run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and driven by a steering committee comprising a wide range of stakeholders including business representative
bodies. The Green Business Initiative is aimed primarily at the business community, with an emphasis on small and medium sized enterprises. It provides tools and
methodologies to help organisations to make financial savings by examining and improving their resource use to reduce costs and lessen the impact their business
activity has on the environment. The National Waste Prevention Programme’s report for 2011 noted that in addition to sector specific savings, the Green Business
initiative had identified up to €6.1 million of potential savings due to resource efficiency activities among participating businesses.
In terms of reuse, the SMILE Exchange Network is an industrial co-operation programme with more than 500 businesses in the Network. The programme works to
save businesses money and divert waste from landfill by creating a network of businesses that reuse each other’s surplus products, by-products and reusable
items and also share services and logistics.
The EPA has also published Developing a Green Enterprise which is a guide, for business and institutions, on supports available in Ireland for developing resource
efficient practices. This guide provides a brief overview of services and supports available from the four principal agencies active in this area: the Sustainable
Energy Authority of Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.
The Producer Responsibility Initiative Model in Ireland is currently being reviewed to ensure, inter alia , that specific waste stream re-use, recovery and recycling
targets are achieved at the most efficient cost to stakeholders, whilst maintaining a high level of environmental compliance and where possible, to give
recommendations for lowering the cost of compliance for business.
The County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA) recently published an analysis of local authority activities entitled “Supporting Enterprise, Local Development
and Economic Growth”. The publication summarises over 2,000 initiatives aimed at supporting local economic development, enterprise, support and economic
growth.
