The Government is examining proposals to raise up to 9 million from new taxes on chewing gum, bank-machine receipts and fast-food wrappings, revenue which in turn would be used to clean these items from the streets in an anti-litter measure similar to the 15-cent levy on plastic bags. Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter, reports.
The Minister for the Environment yesterday initiated a four-week consultation period for the public on a report which, he said, provided a "solid basis" for dealing with such litter.
Inviting the public, the relevant industries and non-Government organisations to take part in the process, Mr Cullen indicated that he would hope to impose the levies soon after the consultation.
The Minister said litter was a major expense for taxpayers. While litter management and street-cleaning cost an estimated 70 million in 2003, only €2.74 million was offset by litter fines with the balance funded by local authorities.
"Progressive action is therefore needed to reduce, not only the amount of litter on our streets, but also the associated costs incurred by the taxpayer in dealing with it," he said.
The report, issued by McIvor Consulting and Patel Tonra Environmental Consultants, favoured a levy on chewing gum or a negotiated agreement between the Government and gum-makers to develop industry-funded strategies to tackle such litter.
It said a mandatory 10 per cent levy would cost an average of 5 cent per pack of chewing gum. Such a levy would raise 4-5 million per annum and would meet "part" of the cost of cleaning gum.
A 2 per cent levy on fast-food wrapping would raise about 3.7 million every year, the report said. However, such a levy should be introduced only if an agreement on litter management between Government and fast-food companies failed to deliver targets for the reduction of this kind of litter.
Such an agreement would oblige the industry to fund increased bin capacity near fast-food outlets, which in turn would be obliged to brand all packaging with their own name.
The outlets would also be required to develop improved management systems in the immediate vicinity of fast-food outlets.
The report also called for an agreement between the Government and the banking sector to reduce ATM receipt litter. Failure to deliver agreed targets should result in the introduction of a one-cent levy on all bank-machine transactions, which would raise some 400,000 per annum, the report said.
Mr Cullen said the plastic-bag levy was proof that litter levies could work if applied properly. Saying that litter pollution was unsightly and costly, he said concerted and innovative action was required to address the problem.
The consultancy study was commissioned against the backdrop of two reports by the Litter Monitoring Body, which identified gum, fast-food wrapping and ATM receipts as particularly problematic.
A 2003 report by the body said gum made up 28.26 per cent of all litter, while a 2002 report said fast-food takeaway wrapping was the largest component in the packaging-litter category. ATM receipts were a "significant element" of paper litter.