Mr. Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, has announced the commencement of a review and public consultation of the Producer Responsibility Initiative (PRI) model in Ireland.
Minister Hogan said, “I am delighted to announce that my Department has commenced a review of the Producer Responsibility Initiative Model in Ireland. The overall aim of the review is to assess the nature and level of the challenges which are currently facing the existing PRIs and to prepare these schemes to meet our future domestic and EU recycling targets.”
In relation to the public consultation, the Minister stated, “I hope this public consultation will allow the general public an opportunity to input their views on a whole range of important issues across the waste streams”.
Finally, the Minister commented that, “It is anticipated that the findings and recommendations from the review will form the basis for the further development of robust producer responsibility initiatives that will enable Ireland to operate successfully in meeting our domestic and EU environmental obligations in the medium to long term”.
The public consultation phase will run until Wednesday 25th July next and further information is available at www.environ.ie
Note for Editors.
The polluter pays principle is a fundamental principle of environmental protection. It suggests that waste generators should pay the full costs of waste management services provided including collection, treatment and disposal. Responsibility for the costs of waste management focuses attention on the implications of waste generation and also provides a direct economic incentive for waste prevention. The Waste Management Act, 1996 established a legislative basis for PRIs.
The principal PRIs are in the areas of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), batteries, packaging, end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), tyres and farm plastics. The majority of these PRI schemes have operated very successfully and have enabled Ireland to reach its domestic and EU recycling targets. They have also successfully contributed to Ireland meeting its overall environmental goals and have diverted substantial amounts of waste from landfill.
