A €13 million green waste fund was unveiled today to attract entrepreneurs into the homegrown recycling business.
Ireland exports 1.5 million tonnes of recyclable rubbish every year, more than three-quarters of the total, with much of it going abroad only to return as cardboard cartons, clothes and school bags.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley said the fund will promote new initiatives and ultimately create green jobs.
“Waste that we export often reappears back in Ireland, rejuvenated as valuable commodities that we all buy, like juice or milk cartons, fleece tops or the latest backpack schoolbag,” he said.
“It has great potential to generate new green jobs, it will add value to the materials in Ireland and create more revenue for our economy.”
The Market Development Programme will target entrepreneurs, colleges and universities, manufacturers and waste firms over the next five years to develop new ways of reusing waste including plastics, paper, metals, organics, glass and wood.
Tenders are to be published for demonstration trials using compost in farming and to measure the amount of plastic waste in the country.
Mr Gormley added: “We need to develop markets for these materials and add value here at home and that’s what the Market Development Programme is all about."
Margaret Daly, environmental consultant and chairwoman of the Market Development Group, said the timing of the new fund could refocus recycling on domestic markets.
“With the recent fall in demand for raw waste internationally and rising unemployment at home, now is the right time to find new ways to re-process and add value to our waste, here at home, reducing our dependency on foreign markets,” Ms Daly said.
Brian Buckley, director of Greyhound Recycling and Recovery, said: “We have identified reprocessing of recyclables and adding value to these recoverable resources in Ireland as a key business opportunity.
PA