To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to (i) increase recycling capacity; and (ii) improve recycling infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Legislation transposing the Circular Economy Package (CEP) came into effect on 18 December 2020 with the Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) (2020). Among a number of key targets, the legislation includes an increased municipal recycling rate of 65% by 2035.

My Department are progressing a range of initiatives aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of recycling, including the Household Waste Collaborative Change Programme (HWRCCP) and the recent discussion document “Future Recycling and Separate Collection of Waste of a Household Nature in Northern Ireland”.

The HWRCCP provides capital funding assistance for local councils to improve recycling infrastructure and services. This supports local councils to further increase recycling rates and improve the quality of recycling, and to date I have made £4.8m available for nine projects. A review of the Programme (HWRCCP) has recently been initiated to ensure maximum value for money is being achieved while also revisiting the timeframe for Programme delivery.

The recent consultation Future Recycling and Separate Collection of Waste of a Household Nature in Northern Ireland put forward proposals on how to improve consistency, quantity and quality of recycling in Northern Ireland. The responses to the consultation will help to develop future recycling policy and a Summary of Responses is currently being prepared by Departmental officials.

On March 24 of this year, my Department issued second public consultations alongside the rest of the UK on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging and on a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drink containers alongside England and Wales.

EPR for packaging will incentivise better design and recyclability of packaging and improved labelling, while the introduction of a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland aims to increase the recycling of in-scope drinks containers and improve the quality of recycled material.

The Strategic Investment Board (SIB) waste infrastructure report ‘Analysis of NI Residual Waste arisings to 2035’ focuses on identifying waste infrastructure needs for municipal waste arisings as defined by the EU Circular Economy Package (CEP). Owing to the significant impact of the pandemic on the local and global economy, SIB has been asked to model additional scenarios, which factor in the potential economic impact of COVID-19 on future waste arisings.