"Significant progress has been made in raising recycling levels of construction and demolition waste", so said Mr. Batt O‘‘Keeffe, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Athlone at an information seminar to promote a unique voluntary construction industry initiative aimed at the prevention, minimisation and recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

Referring to the latest data published by the EPA, the Minister indicated that C&D waste accounted for approximately 21% - equating to 3.65 million tonnes - of all non-agricultural waste arisings, of which an estimated 65.4% was recycled. However, the Minister added that if the industry is to meet the challenging 2013 (85% recycling target set for C&D waste in the 1998 policy statement Changing our Ways), new and innovative measures will be required. "An industry-wide cultural shift is also required by all sectors in the broader construction industry", stated the Minister.

"The continued and unfettered growth in waste arisings across all sectors in our society is no longer sustainable and must be reversed in the longer term to better protect our environment for future generations", stated the Minister. "We all need to reduce, reuse and recycle. I‘‘m glad to say that real and tangible progress is now beginning to happen. The public is ‘‘buying in‘‘ to this key message", added the Minister.

"This Voluntary Initiative is an important element in the comprehensive matrix of measures required to instil proper and more sustainable waste management practices in respect of one of our largest waste streams", stated the Minister