Litter lout levy
Tuesday July 15 2003
A levy on chewing gum, polystyrene fast-food wrappers and ATM receipts is being introduced by Environment Minister Martin Cullen, the Irish Independent has learned.
If you use these litter-spreading products you will have to pay - regardless of how you dispose of them.
The money raised by the levy will be reserved exclusively for environmental purposes.
A 5c-10c clean-up levy is to be imposed on every pack of chewing gum under the radical new litter plan currently with the minister.
The measure is similar to the levy imposed by former Environment Minister Noel Dempsey which had the effect of dramatically cutting the use of plastic bags.
But this one is intended mainly to save the taxpayer money, although it is hoped there will be a reduction in use of polystyrene and demand of ATM receipts.
The levy could save the public purse up to €8m every year by paying for the removal of the unsightly gum.
The money, which will be collected by the Revenue Commissioners, will be ring-fenced for a special Environment Fund and re-directed to local councils.
A similar levy will be imposed on ATM receipts from bank cash dispensing machines, it was learned last night.
For fast food operators, the charges will apply only if they continue using environmentally unfriendly polystyrene wrappers.
The tough proposals, which are already drawn up, will be brought before the Cabinet as early as September by Mr Cullen.
They are due to be introduced as soon as possible afterwards.
Consumers buying chewing gum will be hit with the 5-10c charge at the point of sale in shops as the proposed levy will be incorporated into the price of the product.
The shop will inform the Revenue Commissioners when making their returns.
The charge will be operated in the exact same way as the highly successful plastic bags 15c levy which is credited with removing 1bn bags in its first full year of operation.
But the chewing gum levy, unlike the plastic bag tax, is designed "so that those using chewing gum will pay for its clean up" according to the Government sources.
"Is it fair that those who don't use chewing gum pay for the cost of cleaning it up?" the source added.
It is not expected that the clean-up charge will lead to any significant reduction in sales which have been rocketing over the past decade.
Government research used during the drawing-up of the plan shows that 500 tonnes of chewing gum - 80m packs costing €40m - end up on our streets every year.
Mr Cullen has been working on the latest levy for the past month.
He has been in talks with the Revenue Commissioners over how the next environment charge will operate.
He plans to consult with other government departments and bodies before bringing the plan to Cabinet sometime in September or October, sources said last night.
The entire plan is based on the "polluter pays" now commonplace in most EU countries.
The Environment Fund, financed by the landfill and plastic bag levies is worth €55m in 2003.
The money goes towards green initiatives by the Government with €35m set aside this year for investment in waste recycling infrastructure.
The moves come as the number of litter offences recorded by local authorities stood at 13,176 for the last six months of 2002.
- Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent
