Farm plastics collection demand

Environment Minister Dick Roche has been urged to immediately establish collection and storage facilities for farm plastics in conjunction with local authorities.

Fine Gael agricultural spokesperson Denis Naughten called on the minister to provide additional funds to facilitate the collection of such plastics for which farmers have already paid a levy.

He also asked what steps the minister intends to take to address the problem of plastic being imported from Britain and the North without the payment of such a levy.

Mr Naughten said it is totally unacceptable that the Government is washing its hands of the issue of farm plastics when they have turned a blind eye to the import of plastic from the North which is not liable to the recycling levy.

Mr Naughten said the minister, in conjunction with local authorities, must establish collection points for the recycling of farm plastics. This should be co-ordinated with the current processors of farm plastics to ensure that a backlog of material does not build up.

“Some Local Authorities are already providing such a service but if this is to continue and be developed, it must be encouraged and promoted by the Minister for the Environment.”

Minister Roche said the Irish Farm Film Producers Group (IFFPG) is currently the sole “approved body” in Ireland for the purposes of implementing a compliance scheme for the recovery of farm plastics waste.

Under the scheme, producers apply a levy on the sale of farm plastics that in turn is transferred to the IFFPG for use in funding the collection and recovery of farm plastics waste.