‘We need plastic recycling machines’

Reserve vending machines for single use plastics have been called for by Cllr Emily Wallace, who argues that if other counties can do it, why can’t Westmeath.

Speaking at the February meeting of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, she said that Monaghan had introduced such machines in 2019, but it looked like Westmeath would have to wait another couple of years to get them.

Cllr Wallace suggested that the council could look at getting commercial entities on board to do a joint venture or they could look for funding from environmental initiatives to do it.

She said the machines cost some €20,000, which was a lot of money, but not in the long-term as they reduce waste.

She was told that the Department of Environment and Climate Change was leading a national consultation programme on a “deposit return scheme” legislative framework, which would include a national “reverse vending policy”.

The first round of public consultation ended last May and further consultation is planned for later this year. The completed policy is not expected until 2023.

David Jones, director of services, said the council would look at pilot schemes rolled out in other counties and see how such a scheme would fit in with the policy being developed at national level.