Ireland is now almost certain to miss EU municipal and packaging recycling targets for 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned.
Ireland is producing waste up by one-fifth on the previous decade, according to latest EPA data.
The EPA’s Director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, David Flynn, said it shows “Ireland’s progress towards a circular economy is stalling.”
Ireland is failing to meet a number of EU targets.
Under the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, close to two-thirds of old devices like hairdryers, fridges and mobile phones are supposed to be taken back and recycled. Ireland’s collection rate was just 51 percent.
“Just over 1.3 million tonnes of municipal waste generated in Ireland was recycled in 2022”, according to the EPA’s latest report. That amounts to a recycling rate of 41 percent. But the EU has a target recycling rate of 55 percent by 2025 and 65 percent by 2035.
That means there will be huge pressure to meet Ireland’s EU obligations for the coming years.
There are similar targets in place for packaging recycling which will need to be met.
The EPA also warns that more targets are likely to be imposed by the EU in coming years and Ireland is not ready for these.
The EU wants to cut down on the use of new materials by promoting reuse and recycling schemes. But Ireland’s prospects in the circular economy are woeful.
“At 1.8%, Ireland’s CMUR [Circular Material Use Rate] is one of the lowest in Europe. High levels of primary resource extraction from agricultural and construction activities, and the open nature of our economy in terms of imports and exports are the main factors influencing this.”
The EPA believes there are changes Ireland can make to improve its environmental record.
“Deeper change is needed right across the economy to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy”, says Warren Phelan, Manager of the EPA’s Circular Economy Programme.
“Effective regulation, incentives and enforcement are required to influence businesses and consumers to adopt best practices in production, supply, purchasing, use and reuse of goods, products and services.”