Sir, - I read (An Irishman's Diary, September 2nd) that Deasun Breatnach was sorely disappointed that the local outlet for recycled paper in Dun Laoghaire was removed. I felt the same myself: I work in Cornelscourt shopping centre, where the bin was removed some time ago. I would very much like to see far more extensive recycling of paper, plastic and glass.
When I enquired into the removal of the recycled paper bin, I was informed that the market price for paper pulp had fallen so low that it was not economic to process and sell recycled paper. In every product area where recycling is practical (paper, glass, plastic) prices for the raw materials fluctuate considerably. One year it may be profitable to recycle paper, the next year not. Therefore, should the market for recycled products be aided by the county council paying a subsidy to paper companies to help keep their recycled product competitive? How much money from the county council's budget should be spent on this rather than on social housing, for example? Given that the payment of subsidies in other areas of business attracts criticism as well as praise, this may be a contentious approach.
Mr Breatnach felt that county councillors in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown were strangely silent on this matter in the face of overwhelming public desire for recycling. As a Dun Laoghaire Rathdown councillor I have to disagree. If county councillors are not marching in the streets on this issue it is because there actually is not the overwhelming public appetite for the difficult decisions ahead in the area of dealing with waste. Certainly if any of us were asked, "Would you like to extensively introduce recycling that would make our environment cleaner and provide jobs?", the overwhelming answer would be yes. However, if the next question was "how would you feel about a £200 charge per house to help fund these recycling initiatives?", the answer would be far less overwhelming.
As landfill runs out expensive alternatives will have to be developed. Charges for bin collection services (which in some areas I represent could not be called a service due to their unreliability) may have to be introduced. How many people are going to clap a local representative on the back for championing an initiative that is going to cost voters a lot of money?
Recycling will not take off until it has the force of law. The impetus lies with the Government to introduce workable recycling legislation. Individual county councils cannot solve this problem. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr Eoin Costello, Abberley, Killiney, Co Dublin.