Ban on plastic packaging

Dear Editor, I welcome the positive environmental response that will derive from the decision of the French Government to ban all plastic packaging on fruit and vegetable products. My wish is that such a progressive move will inspire the Irish Government to give serious consideration as to the environmental costs associated with the lack of a proactive waste management strategy in this country.

Despite my appeals over almost a quarter of a century for a proactive national waste management strategy based on the principle of introducing taxation on waste creation, it is obvious that the Irish Government’s response to date has been to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to meeting our international environmental commitments as tax on waste is not contemplated in this country until it is about to be deposed.

Looking to the future I can only hope that the progressive environmental legislation enacted by the French Government will in way motivate the Irish Government into realising our environmental international responsibilities and the important role that tax of waste creation would have on achieving same. Because ultimately, on a global planet, our environment has boundaries or borders.

Yours sincerely, Tadhg O’Donovan,

Fermoy.