17th February 2005

Transport

Waste Disposed Of In The Department

Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport the total weight of waste that his Department produces within its own offices in the last year for which figures are available; the breakdown of the weight produced by paper, glass, aluminium and steel cans, textiles, plastics, organic waste, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, hazardous waste and mixed waste respectively; the percentage of weight in each category which is recycled; and the details of any contracts his Department has for this disposal, reduction or re-use of waste.

Minister For Transport: My Department has introduced a process for recycling paper waste. In 2004 almost 45,000 kilos of paper waste was shredded to be subsequently processed into recycled paper products. The weight of other waste is not recorded but officials of my Department in consultation with the Department of the Environment and as part of the Government’s Race Against Waste programme are at present preparing a broad waste reduction plan.