Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Waste Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020

Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Ceisteanna (801)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

801. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps being taken to reduce the number of single use wipes ending up in waters; the analysis undertaken by his Department or other agency of the problem in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11427/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The government strongly supported the introduction of Directive (EU) 2019/904  of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the Environment, commonly referred to as the Single Use Plastics Directive.  The aim of this Directive is to tackle the items which together make up 70% of the marine litter found on EU beaches and it introduces measures to tackle a range of single use plastics, including wet wipes.

By December 2024 an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will apply to the production and placing on the market of wet wipes whereby it will be mandatory for producers to fund the costs associated with awareness raising, litter clean up and management of that litter as well as the costs of data gathering and reporting for these products.

In addition, from 3 July 2021, wet wipes packaging will be required to contain clear and standardised labelling which indicates how the products should be disposed of, the potential negative environmental impact of the product, and the presence of plastics in the product.

I will also be considering further measures for dealing with all single use plastic items, including wet wipes, in the context of our national Waste Action Plan in a Circular Economy. 

The monitoring of these items on our water treatment systems, our beaches and marine environment is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Barr
Roinn