A farm
plastics recycling scheme which has run out of money must be given extra
funding by the Government, it was claimed tonight.
More than half
of all the waste plastic generated on farms this year has not been
collected.
Labour Party Environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said
the scheme had been working well when it began in 1997 but had been
faltering for some time.
“We are now in a situation where the
scheme has collapsed and farmers who have already paid to have this
plastic collected from their farms are being left with tonnes of
recyclable waste on their hands,” he said.
Around 55,000 farmers
are taking part in the scheme by paying a levy on every tonne of plastic
used for silage bale. The plastic was collected by Irish Farm Film
Producers, a not-for-profit company and sent to Scotland for recycling
into plastic packaging.
The scheme has grown in popularity among
farmers with 12,500 tonnes of plastic collected so far this year, compared
to 9,000 tonnes last year. But the income from the levy has not matched
the increase in collections and the scheme has also been hit by the rise
in smuggled farm plastic, which does not include the environmental levies.
The scheme has been suspended until the end of the year.
Mr Gilmore said
Environment Minister Dick Roche had to make up the funding
shortfall.
“If the minister is serious about reaching EU targets
for recycling, he must take the initiative in this matter,” he
said
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) also called for financial
support to be given to the scheme.
“We now need a targeted programe
to collect the surplus plastic that has built up on farms over the last
two years and to allow the collection service to restart its activities
without delay,” said national treasurer Padraig Walshe.
A
Department of Environment spokesman said it was not normal Government
practice to intervene in schemes like the farm plastic scheme which were
the responsibility of producers.
“But we will be meeting with Irish
Farm Film Producers to see if we can provide any assistance,” he
said.
Source: www.sbpost.ie
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