Waste recycling levels a cause for concern

IRELAND is going in the wrong direction when it comes to recycling as new figures reveal that we are still generating too much waste packaging.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that from 2012 to 2018 the recycling rates for waste packaging dropped from 74% to 64%.

This downward trend coincides with an increase in the quantity of packaging sent for incineration with energy recovery in recent years.

Figures published yesterday by the agency show that in 2018 Ireland generated one million tonnes of waste packaging, which averages out to 214kg per person.

Of that 214kg, 86kg would be paper and cardboard, and 54kg plastic.

The remaining would be a mix between wood, glass, and textile packaging.

Ireland only recycled one-third of plastic packaging in 2018, which has decreased for the third year in a row, according to the EPA.

Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability Dr Eimear Cotter said that households and businesses can drive change in this area by ‘avoiding over-packaged goods which sends a strong signal back to producers to innovate for reduced packaging and reusable alternatives’.

‘We must also maximise recycling of the remaining materials, and waste collectors have a critical role here in ensuring their customers segregate correctly and use the appropriate bin.

‘To support this, Ireland’s recycling list should, as a matter of urgency, be reviewed to expand the variety of waste types that can be recycled,’ she said.

In 2018, 64% of waste packaging generated was recycled which exceeds the EU target of 55%.

However, the EPA warned that the future EU targets such as 65% by 2025 and 70% by 2030 may be more challenging to achieve.

Senior Scientist at the EPA, Dr Tara Higgins added yesterday that each tonne of packaging releases greenhouse gases during extraction of raw materials, manufacture, transport and waste management process.

‘The quantity of packaging waste generated needs to be reduced to bring about environmental and climate benefits.

‘The Government’s forthcoming Waste and Circular Economy Action Plan provides an opportunity to set out concrete actions that will address the worrying trends highlighted in these figures and help Ireland meet challenging new EU targets in the coming years.’