(Click on the title for a link to Repak)
We had a fun day on our estate last week .We ordered three different types of bouncy castles one for bouncing, one for sliding down and one that had big boxing gloves so everyone could vent their frustrations and beat each other up. The afternoon went very well and included competitive races to help burn off some of the sugar that was taken. The event was only dampened slightly even though the heavens opened the second that air was pumped into the bouncy play equipment and didn’t ease up at all until the things were switched off three hours later. The kids on the estate didn’t seem to notice though and everyone seemed to have the best of times. Next year we will have more of an idea when it comes to the organising of the event. The weather on the other hand, well what can you do?
RETURNING WASTE TO THE SUPPLIERS
I have had some people approach me over the last few days wanting to know what the law is when it comes to taking packaging back to shops for recycling. A year or two ago some customers at a large supermarket protested and brought back all the unnecessary packaging and piled it up outside their doorway. This started a chain reaction that has lead to large shops pressuring suppliers to reduce waste. This is working too but still has a long way to go before we get back to walking back from the shops with our string bag full of packaging free shopping. I contacted Repak the recycling company recently to see where we stood in the eyes of the law when it comes to returning our waste to the shops where we bought the products.
HOW DO THE REGULATIONS AFFECT SUPPLIERS
If a company has a turnover greater than €1 million and places 25 tonnes or more of packaging onto the Irish Market per year, it is considered to be a “Major Producer” and is therefore responsible for the packaging it places onto the Irish Market. To comply with the regulation these shops and companies have two options:
A: Join Repak (the collective compliance scheme): If a shop or manufacturer chooses to become a member of Repak, they will pay an annual membership fee based on the type and quantity of packaging they put onto the Irish market in the previous calendar year. In return for this fee Repak will discharge them of their obligations to take back packaging and to register with your Local Authority. Repak use fees collected from members to fund recycling initiative around Ireland including subsidising Waste Contractors and Local Authorities for all packaging material they collect for recycling.
B. Self Compliance: Major producers may also choose to self comply with the regulations by registering with their Local Authority and by accepting back packaging waste from their customers and the public. Self-compliers must display notices at each public entrance to their premises (minimum size 30cm x 40cm) stating that they will accept back and recycle an amount up to 100% of packaging supplied to their customers. The company would then be responsible for the correct recycling procedure for the waste. There is small print to say that a company can say enough is enough when they have received 50% of the amount of waste they distribute. Another point to note is that companies who supply products and packaging to other counties in the country should be held responsible for the safe recycling of their packaging in that area. This policy isn’t widely used though as initiating it is difficult.
SIMPLE TERMS
If a shop has a turnover of around €20,000 per week and has an output of about half a tonne of rubbish and packaging a week and they don’t have proof that they are a member of Repak, they are legally obliged to take back packaging. This amount isn’t a lot and a majority of small shops and supermarkets will fall into this category. Repak had this to say to the suppliers of waste. “If you are a Member of Repak, you are not obliged to accept back packaging waste from your customers. Otherwise as a “Major Producer” you are obliged to accept back and recycle packaging waste from your customers and others regardless of whether you sold that packaging or not, as long as it is similar in type to the packaging sold by your company”
It will be a brave person who walks into their local supermarket with all of their recyclable packaging. But they will be well within the law if that company doesn’t display the Repak sticker on the door. After saying that, it isn’t to be recommended, as the shops really need to have recycling bins on their premises to minimise the risk to others.
If you would like more information on Repak you can go to www.repak.ie or phone them on Dublin 01 467 0190
Environmental.
We had a fun day on our estate last week .We ordered three different types of bouncy castles one for bouncing, one for sliding down and one that had big boxing gloves so everyone could vent their frustrations and beat each other up. The afternoon went very well and included competitive races to help burn off some of the sugar that was taken. The event was only dampened slightly even though the heavens opened the second that air was pumped into the bouncy play equipment and didn’t ease up at all until the things were switched off three hours later. The kids on the estate didn’t seem to notice though and everyone seemed to have the best of times. Next year we will have more of an idea when it comes to the organising of the event. The weather on the other hand, well what can you do?
RETURNING WASTE TO THE SUPPLIERS
I have had some people approach me over the last few days wanting to know what the law is when it comes to taking packaging back to shops for recycling. A year or two ago some customers at a large supermarket protested and brought back all the unnecessary packaging and piled it up outside their doorway. This started a chain reaction that has lead to large shops pressuring suppliers to reduce waste. This is working too but still has a long way to go before we get back to walking back from the shops with our string bag full of packaging free shopping. I contacted Repak the recycling company recently to see where we stood in the eyes of the law when it comes to returning our waste to the shops where we bought the products.
HOW DO THE REGULATIONS AFFECT SUPPLIERS
If a company has a turnover greater than €1 million and places 25 tonnes or more of packaging onto the Irish Market per year, it is considered to be a “Major Producer” and is therefore responsible for the packaging it places onto the Irish Market. To comply with the regulation these shops and companies have two options:
A: Join Repak (the collective compliance scheme): If a shop or manufacturer chooses to become a member of Repak, they will pay an annual membership fee based on the type and quantity of packaging they put onto the Irish market in the previous calendar year. In return for this fee Repak will discharge them of their obligations to take back packaging and to register with your Local Authority. Repak use fees collected from members to fund recycling initiative around Ireland including subsidising Waste Contractors and Local Authorities for all packaging material they collect for recycling.
B. Self Compliance: Major producers may also choose to self comply with the regulations by registering with their Local Authority and by accepting back packaging waste from their customers and the public. Self-compliers must display notices at each public entrance to their premises (minimum size 30cm x 40cm) stating that they will accept back and recycle an amount up to 100% of packaging supplied to their customers. The company would then be responsible for the correct recycling procedure for the waste. There is small print to say that a company can say enough is enough when they have received 50% of the amount of waste they distribute. Another point to note is that companies who supply products and packaging to other counties in the country should be held responsible for the safe recycling of their packaging in that area. This policy isn’t widely used though as initiating it is difficult.
SIMPLE TERMS
If a shop has a turnover of around €20,000 per week and has an output of about half a tonne of rubbish and packaging a week and they don’t have proof that they are a member of Repak, they are legally obliged to take back packaging. This amount isn’t a lot and a majority of small shops and supermarkets will fall into this category. Repak had this to say to the suppliers of waste. “If you are a Member of Repak, you are not obliged to accept back packaging waste from your customers. Otherwise as a “Major Producer” you are obliged to accept back and recycle packaging waste from your customers and others regardless of whether you sold that packaging or not, as long as it is similar in type to the packaging sold by your company”
It will be a brave person who walks into their local supermarket with all of their recyclable packaging. But they will be well within the law if that company doesn’t display the Repak sticker on the door. After saying that, it isn’t to be recommended, as the shops really need to have recycling bins on their premises to minimise the risk to others.
If you would like more information on Repak you can go to www.repak.ie or phone them on Dublin 01 467 0190
Environmental.
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