-Additional Funding Needed to Meet Future EU Packaging recycling Targets
-Investment in packaging recycling to rise to €45 million per year by 2011
-€117 million invested in packaging recycling by Repak since 1997
-Repak has funded the recycling of nearly 3 million tonnes of used packaging since 1997
-Repak agree 5 year Strategic Partnership with Government and stakeholders
-Changes to the packaging regulations to obligate more companies
The 2007 RPS Service Providers Conference was held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on the 25th April.
There are currently 153 Service Providers (Local Authorities and Commercial Waste Recycling Company’s) nationwide that are contracted by Repak for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
The general theme of the conference was “Sustainable Recycling”. Representatives from both Local Authority and Commercial Recovery Operators were in attendance.
Speakers on the day were Fred McDarby, Enterprise Ireland, Louis Duffy, Environment Dept, Cork County Council and Kathleen O’Donohue-Ryan, Best Practice Manager, Repak. The key note address was given by Minister of State for the Environment, Mr. Batt O’Keefe.
Attendees to the conference were informed that €180 million needs to be invested by Irish industry in packaging recycling over the next 5 years in order for Ireland to meet its next EU packaging recovery targets. By 2011 the annual funding of packaging recycling by Repak is forecast to rise to €45 million.
The new figures reflect a 50% increase in the funding for the next 5 years versus the amount invested over the last 10 years, as more recycled packaging is sourced from household bins throughout the country.
The figures were revealed against the backdrop of €117 million that Repak has invested in funding packaging recycling in Ireland to date, in meeting its member’s producer responsibility obligations to fund the recycling of their used packaging. Through this investment, packaging recycling has grown from under 15% in 1998 to over 60% in 2006. In total Repak has recorded the funding of nearly 3 million tonnes of used packaging since its establishment in 1997, which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Fred McDarby presented on the plans for the €13 million government funded Market Development Programme. The delegates also heard details of the joint Repak/EPA Packaging Prevention programme that aims to reduce the volume of packaging being generated in the first place.
Future changes to the packaging regulations will see thousands of extra companies becoming obligated under the Waste Management Regulations (Packaging) was outlined by the minister for State Batt O’Keefe. Enforcement of this legislation is seen as key to ensuring that Ireland can continue to meet the steep costs of future packaging recycling targets.
As Repak celebrates its 10 year anniversary it outlined that central to ensuring that future funds were available to meet growing recycling targets meant not only large increases to existing members but more importantly bringing more companies into the producer responsibility net. Large companies who were currently ignoring the legislative obligation under producer responsibility also need to be identified and forced to comply.
-Investment in packaging recycling to rise to €45 million per year by 2011
-€117 million invested in packaging recycling by Repak since 1997
-Repak has funded the recycling of nearly 3 million tonnes of used packaging since 1997
-Repak agree 5 year Strategic Partnership with Government and stakeholders
-Changes to the packaging regulations to obligate more companies
The 2007 RPS Service Providers Conference was held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on the 25th April.
There are currently 153 Service Providers (Local Authorities and Commercial Waste Recycling Company’s) nationwide that are contracted by Repak for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
The general theme of the conference was “Sustainable Recycling”. Representatives from both Local Authority and Commercial Recovery Operators were in attendance.
Speakers on the day were Fred McDarby, Enterprise Ireland, Louis Duffy, Environment Dept, Cork County Council and Kathleen O’Donohue-Ryan, Best Practice Manager, Repak. The key note address was given by Minister of State for the Environment, Mr. Batt O’Keefe.
Attendees to the conference were informed that €180 million needs to be invested by Irish industry in packaging recycling over the next 5 years in order for Ireland to meet its next EU packaging recovery targets. By 2011 the annual funding of packaging recycling by Repak is forecast to rise to €45 million.
The new figures reflect a 50% increase in the funding for the next 5 years versus the amount invested over the last 10 years, as more recycled packaging is sourced from household bins throughout the country.
The figures were revealed against the backdrop of €117 million that Repak has invested in funding packaging recycling in Ireland to date, in meeting its member’s producer responsibility obligations to fund the recycling of their used packaging. Through this investment, packaging recycling has grown from under 15% in 1998 to over 60% in 2006. In total Repak has recorded the funding of nearly 3 million tonnes of used packaging since its establishment in 1997, which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Fred McDarby presented on the plans for the €13 million government funded Market Development Programme. The delegates also heard details of the joint Repak/EPA Packaging Prevention programme that aims to reduce the volume of packaging being generated in the first place.
Future changes to the packaging regulations will see thousands of extra companies becoming obligated under the Waste Management Regulations (Packaging) was outlined by the minister for State Batt O’Keefe. Enforcement of this legislation is seen as key to ensuring that Ireland can continue to meet the steep costs of future packaging recycling targets.
As Repak celebrates its 10 year anniversary it outlined that central to ensuring that future funds were available to meet growing recycling targets meant not only large increases to existing members but more importantly bringing more companies into the producer responsibility net. Large companies who were currently ignoring the legislative obligation under producer responsibility also need to be identified and forced to comply.
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