Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
86. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will request the packaging industry to ban the production, manufacture and use of single-use plastics apart from medical supplies use and develop an environmentally friendly alternative within the same period. [42983/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 provides the power to introduce environmental levies and bans on certain single-use disposable items where suitable re-usable alternatives are, or could be made, readily available. These items include single-use cups, containers and packaging. The initial focus will be the introduction of a levy on single-use disposable cups and draft regulations will issue for public consultation shortly. Further levies and bans can be introduced over time, but only following detailed analysis and consultation with all stakeholders and the public. The phasing in of measures in this way will allow industry to adapt to more sustainable business models.
A number of measures aimed at significantly reducing the amount of single-use plastics being placed on the Irish market are already in place. The Single Use Plastics Regulations 2021 includes outright bans on a number of single-use items, labelling requirements for certain products and the introduction of a number of new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
In addition, the Waste Directive Regulations 2020 introduced a new requirement for collective EPR schemes to “eco” modulate the financial contributions paid by producers. The provision incentivises producers to design products that contribute to waste prevention and facilitate recycling by taking into account their durability, reparability, re-usability and their recyclability. Essentially, recyclable packaging incurs lower fees than non-recyclable packaging; penalising non-recyclable composites and over-packaging. Since July 2021, Repak, Ireland’s packaging EPR scheme, is implementing this approach for plastics and will extend to all packaging from next year.
