Repak to invest €3.9m in recycling infrastructure

Waste packaging scheme Repak is to invest €3.9m in establishing 850 new bring sites nationwide.

The investment - over the next two years - will lead to the collection of an additional 26,000 tonnes of packaging waste per annum, almost 10% of Ireland's 2002 national recycling target.

Repak will invite local authorities to submit tenders for the scheme, under which, Repak will fund two thirds of the cost of installing the bring banks.

As part of the agreement local authorities will have responsibility for funding one third of the cost of installing the bring banks through central Government funding, finding suitable sites for and servicing of the banks.

Tenders should be submitted by September and the first banks should be sited before the end of the year.

Each site will consist of separate banks for glass, cans, paper and plastic bottles.

Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Repak said: "Industry is investing a substantial amount of their financial resources in the Bring Bank Strategy to make it easier for householders to engage in recycling.

"This investment will increase the number of bring sites in Ireland by almost 70% and will result in an additional 26,000 tonnes of packaging waste being recycled annually.

"Although Repak met Ireland's 2001 target of recycling 200,000 tonnes of packaging waste, much more will have to be done to meet our national targets for 2005 of 450,000 tonnes which represents 50% of Ireland's packaging waste."