"An early and welcome Christmas present for our environment", is how Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government described the announcement by the two producer compliance schemes - WEEE Ireland and ERP - that 5,000 tonnes of old electrical and electronic equipment has been collected in the first two and a half months of the scheme‘‘s operation.

"When set against the EU annual collection target of 4kg for every inhabitant in the State (i.e. 16,000 tonnes) which we are not required to reach until the end of 2008, we can see what a stunning start we have made to WEEE recycling in Ireland", the Minister added. "It is clear that the scheme enjoys broad public support and participation", said Mr. Roche.

The Minister said that this success could not have been possible without the co-operation and partnership displayed by all of the stakeholders involved - the producers, retailers, local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department. "It was clear at the outset that our network of civic amenity sites would require supplementing; thanks to the partnership approach retailers, producers, and local authorities worked together to establish collection points at retail premises with the result that over 3,000 collections have now been made from over 180 collection points. The arrangement of special open days to facilitate the public in getting rid of their old appliances is also welcome."

Minister Roche also welcomed the announcement by WEEE Register that it had approved a reduction in the visible Environmental Managements Costs (vEMCs) from EUR1.00 to EUR0.00 for Alarm Clocks, Individual Clocks, Stopwatches, Clocks and Watches. The Minister also welcomed the commitment from producers that a thorough evaluation of the current levels of vEMCs will take place at the end of the first six months of operation of the scheme, in order to ensure that collection and recycling continues to operate on a not-for-profit basis.

The Minister also launched a leaflet, WEEE, the Environment and the Consumer aimed at improving public awareness of the scheme. "I want to thank the producers and the many retailers who have assisted in producing and distributing the leaflet through their distribution networks."

The Minister urged consumers to keep up the good work over the Christmas/New Year period, taking particular care with smaller electrical items and stocking fillers which up to now finished up in the bin. "Now that we have a proper system in place it‘‘s time to break old habits and develop good new ones by making sure that these are brought back to the shop when replacing them or to the local civic amenity site. Either option is free and the winner in the end will be the public who will no longer have to endure despoliation of our environment from waste electrical goods", the Minister concluded