Irish Parliament’s Printing Waste: Over 80,000 Unclaimed Items Sent to Recycling
The Oireachtas, Ireland’s parliament, reported that a significant number of printed materials went unclaimed by members. In the last year, 82,600 items were directed for scrapping due to their unclaimed status. This practice highlights the challenges and issues within the parliament’s logistical processes.
Massive Quantity of Recycled Letterheads
The highest percentage of scrap was from 30,000 color A4 letterheads. These were printed for Labour Party member Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in January. His role change to MEP in June rendered the letterheads obsolete, leading to their eventual recycling.
Ó Ríordáin expressed regret at the waste, noting that the Oireachtas print facility recycled the batch in September as he couldn’t use them in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Surprised TDs Miss Recyclable Printing Deadlines
Two members of parliament were caught off guard when their documents were recycled. Both expected to retrieve their materials as they had planned. However, under Leinster House’s strict rules, items must be collected within five days of their availability.
Anne Rabbitte’s Missed Collection
Among those affected was former junior minister Anne Rabbitte. Her office printed 30,000 newsletters, of which 18,000 were recycled. Initially, 12,000 were collected in November, but plans to get the remainder were unsuccessful.
Fianna Fáil’s Anne Rabbitte. Photo: Julien Behal
Robert Troy’s Story
Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy ordered 1,000 letterheads in October. Following the Christmas recess, he intended to collect them, only to find that they were already recycled. These incidents highlight the importance of adhering to the designated collection period.
Recycling Policies and Service-Level Agreement
All uncollected documents are collected by Irish Packaging Recycling and go for recycling.
According to the Oireachtas’s service-level agreement, members can print up to 40,000 items per session. Larger batches require special arrangements. The aim is to manage costs and resources efficiently.
Additional High-Volume Recycling Incidents
In February, former junior minister Josepha Madigan’s office ordered 26,000 newsletters and letterheads, intended for her upcoming activities as a TD. However, Madigan’s retirement before the general election left these unclaimed and recycled.
Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae’s Case
Another noteworthy example is Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, who had a batch of 3,600 calendars printed. Unfortunately, they went uncollected and were recyclable.
Danny Healy-Rae. Photo: Collins
Heather Humphreys’s Experience
There was a similar incident for former social protection minister Heather Humphreys, who ordered 4,000 letterheads ahead of her retirement. Despite her efforts to ensure their collection, they too were recycling material.