Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 April 2017
309. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider introducing the paying of a deposit for plastic bottles to encourage recycling and deal with the amount of bottles being discarded around the countryside; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16882/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRepak is the approved producer responsibility compliance scheme for packaging in Ireland and is tasked with meeting recovery and recycling targets established under the EU Packaging Directive (94/62/EC). The most recent Waste Packaging Statistics for Ireland published by the EPA in May 2016 show that Ireland has met and exceeded the overall packaging waste recovery rate and the recycling rate targets since they came into force. In July 2014, the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government published a Review of the Producer Responsibility Initiative Model in Ireland. The aim of the review was to assess the nature and level of the challenges which are currently facing the existing Producer Responsibility Agreements, as well as the forthcoming challenges that are expected to arise in the management of various waste streams. A stakeholder consultation process was also conducted.
As part of this review, a wider examination of issues within the packaging sphere was undertaken and consideration was given to the introduction of a bring back scheme for waste, including plastic bottles. The review was asked to consider, among other matters, an examination of packaging reduction initiatives such as deposit and refund and reverse vending.
The review report did not recommend the introduction of a Deposit and Refund scheme and concluded that to establish such a scheme was inappropriate, in view of the operation of the existing packaging scheme (operated by Repak), and policies concerning household waste collection, plus the high administrative costs of introducing such a system. It is also conceivable that littering could occur where waste bins might be searched for items attracting a refund under any such scheme.
The review report is available at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/Environment/Waste/WasteManagement/FileDownLoad%2C34038%2Cen.pdf.
