Issue 1 - 2008 - Repak

EPA Waste Database 2006NEWSThe 2006 EPA report shows that while recycling is on theup, the diversion of waste from landfill has decreased.• Quantity of biodegradable municipal waste is upby 15 per cent• Quantity of municipal waste up by 11 per cent.• Quantity of recycled municipal waste up by18 per cent• Quantity of recycled household waste upby 14 per cent• Quantity of recycled packaging waste up by 8 per cent• The quantity of municipal waste sent to landfillincreased by 8 per cent. Urgent action is required toreverse this trend if Ireland is to have any chance ofmeeting the landfill diversion targets for 2010 set bythe Landfill Directive.• The collection of 7.4kg of waste electrical andelectronic equipment per capita is almost double theEU target of 4kg per capita.• Construction and demolition waste accounted for 55per cent of all waste.Dr. Padraic Larkin, Deputy Director General of theEnvironmental Protection Agency, said: “This report showsthat the amount of waste going to landfill is increasing,not decreasing as we would have expected if Ireland is tomeet its EU commitment to landfill less than one milliontonnes of biodegradable municipal waste by 2010”.Despite the increases in the actual quantity of wasterecycled, the rate of municipal waste recycling onlyincreased from 34 per cent in 2005 to 36 per cent in2006. The recycling rate for household waste remained at22 per cent in the same period despite the roll-out in allparts of the country of two-bin and three-bin systems forhousehold waste collection and the large scale use ofbring banks and civic amenity sites.Dr. Gerry Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said,“Overall, there is very good progress to report on therecycling front. Householders and businesses are willingto recycle once they are given the appropriate incentivesand services.”“Prevention of packaging, especially the difficult-to-recyclepackaging, is the environmentally sustainable way ofincreasing the packaging recycling rate”, continuesDr. Byrne, “Repak is already engaged in a packagingprevention programme and should continue to lead thissector and provide new impetus to its members to‘prevent and save’.”Tonnes of packaging waste recycled600,000500,000400,000300,000200,000100,0000Growth in packaging waste recycling, 2001-20062001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006European NewsGerman Packaging amendment closes in on FreeridersAm amendment to the German Packaging Ordinancewhich was agreed by the German Federal Cabinet inSeptember is making it obligatory for all companiesmanufacturing or distributing household packaging to takepart in a takeback (dual) system.This ruling will come into force in January 2008 after ithas been passed through the federal Council.The German Ministry for the Environment is confidentthat this new dual system will get freeriders back into thesystem. “It will mean that each participant will pay lessmoney as the costs will be split between more people’.5The essence of the amendment was that all end userpackages (not including those collected by self -compliers)have to be licensed by a dual system.If licensed packages are taken back by the seller ordistributor they can be deducted from the licence fee.Producers/distributors or filled packages have to declarethe amount of end user packaging put on the market andthe licensing of these packages.The concept of this Fifth Amendment was presented inSeptember 2006 and got positive reactions from allinterested groups.Source: European Environment & Packaging Law Sept 2007