11/12/04 - Roche should follow New Zealand model

THE Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, questioned on RTÉ's Prime Time last Tuesday night, admitted that if an incinerator was to be built in Co Wicklow, he, like Justice Minister McDowell, would probably also oppose it to protect his constituents.

Was I hearing things, or what?

Minister, I beg you, do us all a favour. Please check out zero waste which:

• Maximises recycling.
• Minimises residual waste.
• Reduces consumption.
• Ensures products are made to be reused, repaired, recycled or composted.

The ultimate goal of zero waste is to minimise and eventually eliminate waste. Already the practice in New Zealand, for example, it would protect all the citizens of Ireland, including those in Co Wicklow ... and it would save the authorities at Antwerp and Rotterdam a few headaches when faced with our filthy, badly sorted, so-called recycleables en route for dumping in China or India.

Mr Roche says we have to deal with our own waste.

What is he doing to promote recycling? How far does the average person have to drive with their recycleables and what happens to them after that?

What is he doing about all the unnecessary packaging?

Gillian Perrott
Castlelands
Kinsale
Co Cork