Issue 1, 2005 - Repak

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REPAK TARGETS6-Year Strategy Group UpdateThe NSGPWR (National Strategy Group on PackagingWaste Recycling) had its first meeting in October 2004with a mandate to develop an effective programme forthe period 2006-2011 to ensure that Ireland will meetthe revised recycling targets set for 2011 under the currentEU Directive on Packaging Waste.The strategy group is co-chaired by Adrian Goodrich,Chairman of Repak and Tom O’Mahoney, AssistantSecretary of the Department of the Environment,Heritage and Local Government. Representatives fromboth industry and the public sector are members of theNSGPWR and the model is based on partnership with allkey stakeholders working together to ensure that Ireland’sobjectives are achieved. This replicates the model whichhas worked successfully with the current Five Year StrategyGroup (2001-2005), with Ireland currently positioned tomeet its targets for 2005.The initial task undertaken by the NSGPWR was to reviewand amend the Packaging Regulations. It was decided todo this review in two phases. The first phase focused ona number of key areas which needed to be tightened up.This phase was completed on 30th December 2004,with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment signing off on a number of amendments tothe regulations. Phase two of the review process involvesa comprehensive policy review of a number of areas;self-compliance registration fees and arrangementsrelating to the purchase of packaging waste by selfcompliers. This review is ongoing and it was the mainitem on the agenda of the NSGPWR when they held theirfirst meeting of 2005 on Wednesday 9th of March. It wasa lively debate with strong views being expressed on allsides. Steady progress was made but there are still somedifficult issues to be resolved. On a positive note however,all participants are of the view that it is essential that atthe end of the current review process we will have robustregulations which will ensure a level playing field for all.At their recent meeting, the NSGPWR also outlined aprogramme of work and a timeframe to develop and signoff the strategy before year end. It is envisaged that thenew strategy for 2006-2011 will be launched by theMinister for the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment in December 2005.REPRESENTATIVEJohn O’LoughlinEugene HearyDavid RamsayTony KeohaneJohn CurranKieran MullinsNSGPWR Industry RepresentativesORGANISATIONSmurfit Corrugated IrelandBatchelors LimitedC&C IrelandTesco IrelandMusgrave GroupOnyx Ireland Limited6
IBEC Waste Prevention and Minimisation courseMEMBERS UPDATEThis new developmentin assisting Irishindustry to helpidentify methodsof improvingenvironmentalperformance is asymptom of the issuesfacing companiestoday.Topical and current issues such asobtaining outlets for waste; risingcosts; increasing legislative burdensand tightening limits on water andair emissions; growing customerdemands for minimum productconsequences are exercising theminds of Irish business andenvironmental professionals.Lack of formal knowledge andtechnical skills in this regard arekey barriers to waste prevention andminimisation. IBEC, in conjunctionwith the EPA and the CleanTechnology Centre (CTC) havedeveloped a new certifiedprogramme to address this need.This programme is primarily aimedat individuals, at either a technical orsupervisory level, charged with wasteprevention or minimisation strategieswithin their own organisation or forclients. A certain level of relevantexperience or technical knowledgeof waste management issues willbe required.This certified course will provideparticipants with an opportunityto network with other companieson waste prevention issues and theability to identify and quantify thecauses and effects of wastegeneration from their processes,products and services throughouttheir life cycle.The course is run over aneight-month period from April toNovember 2005. The programmewill be delivered through seven daysof face to face tuition, 60 hours ofdirected self-study and a workplacebased project with two associatedtutorial days. Following successfulcompletion of the course, participantswill be provided with certification byCork Institute of Technology.For further enquiries contact:Catherine Dolan or Erik O'Donovanin IBEC (Tel: 01-6051605,Fax: 01-6381605 or e-mail:catherine.dolan@ibec.ie/erik.o'donovan@ibec.ieOEE UpdateLate in 2004, responsibility for the administration of the Local Authority Enforcement Network was transferred from theDOEHLG to the Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE); the new dedicated body established within the EPA to monitorthe implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation in Ireland. In effect, the OEE now oversees enforcementof the Packaging Regulations, via the local authorities.One of the first tasks undertaken by the OEE was the establishment of a Packaging Waste Working Group charged withdrawing up a protocol to guide local authorities in the enforcement of the Packaging Regulations. This body comprisedrepresentatives from the OEE, local authorities and Repak, and completed work on drawing up the protocol in November2004 after a series of preparatory meetings.Regular meetings of the Local Authority Enforcement Network are now held under the chairmanship of Andy Fanningof the OEE. At these meetings, enforcement officers drawn from the 34 local authorities report on progress against listsof prospective, obligated non-compliers based on intelligence gathered from a variety of sources.To date, good progress has been made by the network in identifying major producers who are operating outside thelaw and Repak will continue to press for more action in this area. Most of these non-compliers are now getting the clearmessage from the Enforcement Network - to simply do nothing is no longer an option. To judge from the volume ofmembership enquiries flowing into Repak, this new strategy by the statutory enforcement authorities is moving in theright direction.7
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Page 5: 2004 Recovery PerformanceREPAK TARG
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Issue 1, 2005 - Repak

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