International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

In their submission of information for this review by Repak noted: 243
223
“clearly a need for the adoption of a national strategy on packaging prevention
and minimisation, with agreed targets, timelines, programme measures and
implementing agency(ies)”
The Repak submission notes a potential ‘dichotomy of roles’ in administration of
prevention activities and of the compliance scheme but notes:
“In that regard, there is no reason why Repak could not continue to be the
main implementing agency, providing adequate resources were made
available, and that there was adequate transparency”.
“The implementation of a national strategy will require adequate resources.
While a more detailed implementation plan would identify a more precise
budget, an annual operating budget of the order of two million euro is the
minimum required to deliver a meaningful programme” And “Repak is already
operating under financial constraints, both from its members (seeking
reduced costs) and its operators (local authorities seeking extra funding). As
such, the ability of Repak to fully resource the required programme is severely
constrained.”
In relation to the potential funding sources to be used to provide resources for
packaging Waste prevention, the EPA notes in their National Waste Report 2006, that
with regard to packaging waste: 244
and that:
“Packaging waste recycling is strong and continues to grow. Addressing the
growth in the use of packaging, as illustrated by the growth in packaging
waste, should now become a new priority for Repak, as opposed to finding
new, and more expensive, sources of packaging waste to recycle”
“With the de minimus for major producers being reduced from 31 March
2008, Repak will have many new members, representing a new source of
income to Repak”.
12.10 Effects on Technical Change / Innovation
The key changes that have been associated with the Packaging Regulations are
probably the changes in segregation activity undertaken by businesses and
households, the changes in collection services offered by waste companies and the
increase in the infrastructure required to deal with the collected materials. However,
as stated above, the degree to which this is directly traceable to the effects of the
Regulations is not clear. High landfill gate fees might have been sufficient to
stimulate part of the change, though perhaps not all of it.
243 Repak (October 2008) Submission & Presentations on International Review of Waste Management
Policy - Presentation to TOBIN Consulting Engineers.
244 EPA (2007) National Waste Report 2006, Wexford: EPA.
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes