Legislation to ban companies like Amazon from dumping unused products is set to be introduced in the Seanad.
Sinn Fein's Lynn Boylan has announced the proposal after Amazon opened its first warehouse in Ireland in Baldonnell, Dublin. Senator Boylan said: "[The warehouse] highlights the absolute need for legislation to ban companies from dumping brand new unused items such as laptops, TVs and drones.
"Investigations in Germany, France and Britain have all exposed the practice. In 2020, one exposé in Britain found that up to 130,000 items a week were being binned in a single Amazon Warehouse." She added that this is a part of the business model of large corporations including the fashion industry where thousands of tonnes of textiles and garments are dumped and burned.
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"Much of it unworn. This goes completely against the principles of resource efficiency in the circular economy.
"I think most people, particularly in a cost of living crisis would be horrified to think that it is perfectly legal for brand new items to go straight to landfill or incineration."
She added: "That’s why I have decided to introduce my own legislation, which would carry a financial penalty for any corporations found guilty of this practice and instead make it mandatory for corporations to donate any unsold or returned items to charities and second-hand shops. I look forward to introducing the legislation in the Seanad in the coming weeks."
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