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| Press Release: Environment 3 October 2005 Links to: All Press Releases 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Dún Laoghaire, Environment and Justice Press Releases
3
October 2005 Create
recycling facilities and jobs in Ireland
At
the start of National Recycling Week the Green Party today called for
proper recycling facilities to be established as quickly as possible in Ireland
and for higher recycling targets to be met. Green
Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said that, "Our
waste recycling figures are improving but we are still far from reaching the
European recycling targets set for Ireland. Recently yet another European report
put Ireland close to the bottom of the league for recycling.
Ireland came second last in overall recycling with a figure of 35% while Germany
managed to recycle an impressive 74% of its waste." "While
Ireland has achieved the 2005 target of 25%, our recycling rates compare poorly
in all categories to other EU member states. Ireland was ranked last on
recycling paper, second last on recycling metals, eleventh out of fifteen for
glass recycling and ninth out of fifteen for recycling plastics." "Creating
a proper recycling industry capable of handling Ireland's recycling needs will
provide employment. Yet this FF-PD coalition Government continues to push
incineration in a cavalier fashion as the solution to waste disposal but
meanwhile still hasn't established sufficient recycling facilities and markets
to meet Ireland's growing recycling demands. It is ridiculous that almost
three-quarters of Irish material for recycling is sent abroad - much
of it to China. Transportation of material for recycling in the Far East
cannot be passed off as evidence of progress in Ireland." "The
Green Party in Government will pull out all the stops to ensure that companies
that support recycling in Ireland are promoted and protected,"
concluded Deputy Cuffe.
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