Smurfit closure 'is a blow to recycling'

The closure of the Smurfit Paper Mill in Dublin is a significant blow to recycling in Ireland, according to packaging recycling scheme Repak.

It says the closure erodes Ireland's ability to recycle used packaging and removes the capacity to recycle 40,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard per year.

Repak CEO Andrew Hetherington said: "Our thoughts are firstly with the workers who have lost their jobs at one of the Republic of Ireland's last recycling facilities. This announcement further increases our reliance on overseas markets, which diminishes our control and increases the complexity and costs of recycling. The closure of Irish Glass and the Smurfit Paper Mill combined reduces our indigenous recycling capacity by approximately 90,000 tonnes per annum.

"However, Ireland is well positioned to meet the next round of EU packaging recycling targets and although we have few indigenous recyclers left, the collection and processing function continue to grow in strength. The reality is that cardboard and paper collected will continue to be recycled but now unfortunately recycled abroad."