Sinn Féin has urged the Irish Government to back its legislation which will ban corporations from dumping new and unused products.

The party's spokesperson on Climate Justice, Senator Lynn Boylan, has said the Irish Government "continues to talk out both sides of their mouths when it comes to protecting the environment and tackling climate change."

The legislation would force companies to redistribute excess stock to charities and people who need them instead of dumping them. Senator Boylan said that during a cost-of-living crisis it is "morally bankrupt" to dump unused products when people are going without essentials.

In a statement, Senator Boylan said:

"It's time to end the waste and ban the dumping of new and unused products, they need to back Sinn Féin’s legislation in the Seanad this week.

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"We are calling for an immediate ban on the dumping of new goods by corporations. This practice perpetuates waste, exacerbates environmental degradation, and deepens social inequalities.

"In the fashion and electronics industries especially, we witness countless perfectly usable products being needlessly destroyed to maximize profit.

"With the proliferation of online shopping, this problem has reached alarming levels. Returned items, often in pristine condition, are recklessly discarded instead of being resold. Recent research carried out by DHL has said that 'returns have increased by 19% and 17% of businesses are turning to disposal as their primary method for handling returned items'.

"Some luxury brands have been documented destroying goods to maintain exclusivity rather than see them be resold in charity shops.

"For too long, the government and corporations have tried to put the blame for our environmental catastrophe squarely on the shoulders of individuals as consumers.

"In contrast, this bill highlights Sinn Féin’s commitment to a different approach that puts blame where it lies – on corporations who put profit over planet.

"Our legislation addresses the root causes of waste, which is overproduction, and challenges the prevailing notion of limitless growth at the expense of our environment.

"It requires strong government leadership to stand up to corporate interests who benefit from the status quo, and I urge them to back our bill."