Ireland failing to make progress on recycling

The latest  Circular Economy and Waste Statistics Highlights Report 2022 from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that waste generated in Ireland has increased by 20 per cent in the last decade despite the fact that wasted generation in 2022 was lower than in 2021.   The report shows that over the last 10 years Ireland’s recycling rate has stagnated and mandatory targets for municipal and plastic packaging are at a high risk of not being met.

 Circular Economy and Waste Statistics Highlights Report 2022 key findings:

• In 2022, Ireland generated 15.7 million tonnes of waste, equivalent to 8kg per person every day. 
• Ireland’s annual waste generation has grown by over 20 per cent in the last decade. 
• Ireland is now almost certain to miss EU municipal and packaging recycling targets for 2025.
• Ireland’s municipal recycling rate remains stagnant at 41 per cent with no significant change in 10 years.
• Many construction activities are highly waste intensive, accounting for half of all waste generated. 
• Ireland has a waste infrastructure gap with over 1.2 million tonnes of municipal waste exported to other countries in 2022.

• Generation of packaging waste has risen by over 20% since 2016. The quantity of packaging waste we recycle however, has only risen by 9%. This has led to a fall of 7% in the overall packaging recycling rate since 2016.

• Generation of packaging waste has risen by over 20% since 2016. The quantity of packaging waste we recycle however, has only risen by 9%. This has led to a fall of 7% in the overall packaging recycling rate since 2016.

• EU recycling targets for all packaging (65%) and plastic packaging (50%) will come into place in 2025 and increase thereafter.  Ireland will need to increase its recycling rate significantly to meet those targets.

• The EPA estimates that Ireland generated 750,000 tonnes of food waste in 2022. This equates to 145kg of food waste per person and is higher than the EU average of 130kg of food waste per capita.

• The food Manufacturing and Processing sector was the largest source of food waste, generating 31% (230 000 tonnes) of all food waste in 2022.

• This was followed closely by Households which generated 220,000 tonnes or 29% of the total amount of food waste in Ireland.

• Food waste costs the restaurant and food service sector in Ireland and estimated €300 million per year.

The report finds that current measures to prevent waste, to promote reuse and to encourage recycling are not enough to meet mandatory municipal waste and plastic packaging targets. The challenge for Ireland is to reverse these trends and significantly reduce waste production and increase reuse and recycling. Strong implementation of existing policies and the introduction of new measures that support investment in new circular economy infrastructure will help move us away from a wasteful linear economy.

Currently Ireland’s municipal waste recycling rate is unchanged at 41 per cent, with a requirement to be at 55 per cent by 2025. In addition, whilst recycling of packaging waste is 60 per cent, this must reach 65 per cent by 2025. In 2022 the plastic packaging recycling was 32 percent, up from 28 per cent in 2021, however the recycling target for plastic packaging is 50 per cent by 2025.  The report also highlights that Ireland’s capacity to collect and treat waste is vulnerable and underperforming, with an over-reliance on other countries to treat our recycling materials and general municipal waste. In 2022 38 per cent (1.2 million tonnes) of all municipal waste was exported for treatment. This included 369,000 tonnes of residual waste exported for energy recovery through incineration.

Summary of data from the key sectors

Construction and demolition waste 

• Half of all waste generated in Ireland is construction and demolition waste. Most of this (85 per cent) is soil and stone waste. Construction and demolition waste decreased by 8 per cent to 8.3 million tonnes, driven primarily by reductions in soil and stone waste.

Municipal waste

• The total amount of municipal waste is relatively static at 3.2 million tonnes. This is a 1 per cent increase from 3.17 million tonnes in 2021 and the same level as recorded in 2020.
• 15 per cent of municipal waste was disposed to landfill in 2021. 43 per cent of municipal waste was treated by energy recovery through incineration. 
• 66 per cent of Irish households had access to a brown bin for food and organic waste in 2022. This is a decrease of 3 per cent from 2021. Regulatory changes in 2023 mean that waste collectors are now obliged to provide all households with a brown bin.
  Packaging (including plastic packaging)
• Total packaging waste remained unchanged at 1.2 million tonnes in 2022. 
• 32 per cent of plastic packaging generated in Ireland in 2022 was recycled, up from 28 per cent in 2021.

Single-use Plastics

• 30,680 tonnes of single-use plastic bottles were placed on the market in 2022. A collection rate of 49 per cent was achieved prior to the introduction of the new Deposit Return Scheme. 

Key to meeting our recycling and waste generation targets will be a successful and speedy move from a liner economic model to a circular economic model.  This requires action from business, industry, Government and individuals.  Crucially it requires full implementation of the Circular Economy Programme.