Gormley allocates €6m to recycling fund

Minister for the Environment John Gormley has allocated €6 million to offset costs incurred by local authorities on recycling facilities.

Revenues raised through the plastic bag levy and the landfill levy will be used to offset operational costs associated with recycling bring banks and civic amenity facilities, Mr Gormley said. The amounts allocated to individual county councils are based on a combination of the tonnage recycled and net operating costs between January and June 2007, with particular recognition of the higher costs involved in recycling plastics.

The largest single sum is being given to Dublin City Council, which is receiving €820,000 in funding, followed by Cork County Council, which is getting €732,000.

"The funding is being paid on the basis of the information provided by local authorities on the costs and the level of recycling and recovery achieved in these six months," Mr Gormley said. The Minister congratulated the local authorities on the progress made in recycling waste. "We all have a role to play in managing our waste in the most environmentally friendly way possible," he said.

"It is clear that Irish people are willing to act collectively in tackling our waste issues and will use recycling facilities when they are provided. I am committed to playing my part in terms of providing supporting funding and am confident of seeing further progress in this regard."

This Christmas an additional 80,000 tonnes of waste, or 170 million used packaging containers, will be collected, with 23,000 tonnes of cardboard and paper packaging generated alone.

If all of the glass wine and beer bottles consumed were laid out end to end, they would stretch a distance of more than 9,000km (5,592 miles).