Two innovative Irish projects are to receive £1.5 million in total from an EU fund to promote recycling initiatives within industry and local authorities.
Some £40 million is being distributed this year under the Life Environment programme, with Novartis in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, receiving about £1 million towards demonstrating the feasibility of recovering and reusing waste solvent liquids from its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
Rather than shipping the solvent waste to Europe for incineration, it is planned to break down waste streams from the plant into their original components and purify them for reuse.
"The company expects its installation costs will be paid back within five years with this environmentally-friendly project," said the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Mr Dan Wallace, who announced the funding.
The other Irish project to benefit is proposed by Cork Corporation. It plans, with the Clean Technology Centre in Cork, to establish a pilot separation and recycling facility for demolition and construction waste in the Cork region.
Identification of suitable outlets for this recycled material is essential, Mr Wallace said, while a major percentage of this waste would be used initially to construct a civic amenity park on a closed landfill in the area.
"Both projects are indicative of the increased commitment among industry and local authorities in Ireland to minimise the effects their activities have on the environment, and to operate in a more sustainable manner," Mr Wallace said.
The European Commission is supporting 116 Life Environment projects this year with the aim that they will become models to be adopted throughout member-states.
