Ireland’s first National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy was launched on March 1st 2024 at an event in The Gardens International in Limerick. This plan aims to tackle the significant waste challenges faced in Ireland and provides a new framework for the prevention and management of waste from 2024 to 2030.
How much waste are we currently generating?
- 3.2 million tonnes of municipal waste was generated in Ireland in 2022. That’s equivalent to 644kg per person. The European average is 527kg per person.
- 41% of waste in Ireland is currently recycled versus a current European Union target of 50% with an increased target of 55% by 2025 and 60% by 2030
- 750,00 tonnes of food waste was generated in Ireland in 2022. The target is to halve this waste by 2030.
- 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste was generated in Ireland in 2022 with 60% recycled compared to the European Union target of 65% however only 28% of plastic packaging was recycled with a target of 50% by 2025.
- An estimated 170,000 tonnes of textile waste is generated in Ireland per year. This equates to 35 kg per person per year – or three and a half carry on airline bags.
The Waste Management Act 1996 requires Local Authorities to make a waste management plan either individually or collectively for their functional areas. In 2015 local authorities established three Regional Waste Management Planning Offices to develop and implement three regional waste management plans on their behalf. Following an evaluation, it was recommended that a single national plan be prepared to replace the existing regional plans. This Plan has been developed through collaboration with key partners and stakeholders and guided by National and European Union policy.
The key partners to the collaboration are the Local Authority Sector, represented by the County and City Managers Association, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the Environmental Protection Agency. Proactive engagement with other key stakeholders was facilitated through thematic workshops and public consultations, while input from the local authority sector was achieved through established Regional groupings. The development of the Plan was overseen by a National Oversight Group established by the Local Authority Sector to ensure that sectoral obligations were met while embracing national waste policy. Policy responses and actions emerged from this collaborative process and have been embedded in Volume II of the Plan.
The National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy and the Circular Economy Act propose a range of policy interventions that will contribute to the prevention of waste and the increase of recycling rates. Key measures already introduced by Government include incentivised charging for commercial waste, the roll out of food and garden waste bins to all households, the deposit return scheme and new or increased levies on waste recovery and landfill activities.
The plan sets out an ambitious target of 0% waste growth per person. This means the amount of waste generated for each person is not going to increase above existing levels. This equates to an effective 7-10% reduction in predicted waste generation by 2030. The Plan places an emphasis on waste reduction from commercial activities and the construction and demolition sector and identifies 16 focus areas with 85 priority actions.
The plan also aims to encourage sustainable consumption, with proposals for more awareness campaigns, education programmes, demonstration projects, as well as promoting the correct use of collection bins, be it at home or at work.
“It’s anticipated that the combined effect of these interventions will prevent 300,000 tonnes of waste over the life of this Plan and increase the recycling rate by up to 9%,” said Mr. Swift on behalf of the Regional Waste Plan Co-ordinators. “It’s also really important that we become more creative with the waste we do produce and look at innovative ways to encourage reuse and recycling” he added.
To read National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy 2024-2030 click here.
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