Under the packaging regulations, which cover all businesses with turnovers of more than €1 million, a firm can fulfil its obligations by paying a fee to Repak to cover recycling activity.

Otherwise it is what is called self-compliant. That means a company must accept back the type of packaging waste it puts onto the market - to the equivalent of a minimum of 50 per cent of the packaging waste it produces. Most importantly, the packaging it has to accept back does not have to be from the company itself.

For example, an electronics company, which packages its goods in cardboard and polystyrene, would be obliged to accept all types of cardboard and polystyrene packaging, even from non-electrical goods. Self-compliant companies should have facilities in place and inform customers that they accept back packaging waste.

Some of the companies listed as self compliant are:

Power City Outlets in Finglas, Coolock, Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Liffey Valley and Sallynoggin

Michael Guiney's, Talbot Street, Dublin

Supermac's fast food, 50 outlets, including O'Connell Street, Dublin and Eyre Square, Galway

Philips Electronics, Clonskeagh

Joseph Brennan Bakeries, (makers of Brennan's Bread) Greenhills Industrial Estate, Walkinstown, Dublin 12

Sanyo Ireland, Western Parkway Business Centre, Ballymount Road, Dublin 12

Sony Ireland Ltd,

Broomhill Road, Tallaght

Champion Sports,

The Square, Tallaght and Liffey Valley, Dublin