A Laois TD says the introduction this week of the Deposit Return Scheme is ‘long overdue and will be welcomed by local communities’.
Sinn Fein’s Brian Stanley made the comments in relation to the scheme which will be launched tomorrow, February 1.
The Deposit Return Scheme is an initiative to support the recycling of empty drinks containers.
Under the Scheme, anyone who buys a drink in a plastic bottle or can will be charged a small deposit for the container.
Customers are entitled to a refund of the deposit when they return the empty container to a retailer or other collection point to be recycled.
Businesses that sell drinks which are consumed on the premises, such as pubs, bars and restaurants will not have to charge the deposit to customers.
According to Deputy Stanley, the move ‘will reduce the vast amounts of plastic bottles and aluminium drink containers being dumped and discarded’.
He said: “Our rates of recycling will be increased and will be a positive environmental measure.
“The enactment of the legislation is long overdue. Every town, village and rural area is blighted with discarded bottles and drinks cans.
“But for the work of volunteers on tidy town and community groups our local areas would be heavily littered.’
“I’m glad that Government has at last moved on this. I first introduced a comprehensive bill in July 2017 to bring in such a scheme, so it’s unfortunate we had to wait a further 7 years for it.”
He also says that the Department of the Environment and Local Authorities need to monitor its implementation and help retailers and the public to resolve any difficulties that may arise as the scheme is rolled out.
He said: “In particular, smaller retailers may need assistance to manage and implement the scheme. Additional grants, over and above what has been provided, may be required.
“While the deposit return scheme is a positive step in the right direction, no progress has been made on a scheme for county councils to erect CCTV cameras in dumping blackspots.
“The ‘Circular Economy Bill’ has been passed by the Dáil, but the Minister and Department of Environment are dithering over the regulations necessary.
“Meanwhile, Laois and Offaly County Councils are prevented from using CCTV evidence from litter blackspots to bring prosecutions against those who are dumping illegally. This is causing major problems and enormous frustrations for communities.
“I am calling on the Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan to take action resolve this.”
