Ireland set to miss 2025 recycling targets, EPA warns

Ireland is on course to fall short of key recycling targets for municipal and packaging waste in 2025, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest data for 2023. An extra 400,000 tonnes of recycling is needed to meet EU-mandated targets.

Municipal recycling rates remain stagnant at 42 per cent, well below the 55 per cent target. Packaging recycling is also lagging at 59 per cent, with plastic packaging particularly behind at just 30 per cent — far below the 50 per cent target. Meanwhile, construction and demolition waste continues to dominate Ireland’s waste stream, reaching nine million tonnes in 2023.

David Flynn, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability, said: “Ireland’s waste generation is too high. We need measurable progress on recycling rates, investment in infrastructure, and to reduce the amount of waste exported overseas.”

Warren Phelan, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Circular Economy Programme, added: “If we are serious about a circular economy, we need to support low-waste businesses, remanufacturing, and efficient use of materials. Waste is a cost we should minimise and materials we should retain.”

The report highlights that although some packaging materials like glass and wood meet targets, plastics and metals require urgent attention. Reusable packaging accounts for less than 2 per cent of packaging placed on the market. Ireland exported 1.2 million tonnes of municipal waste in 2023, almost matching the 1.3 million tonnes recycled domestically.

Construction waste remains the largest waste stream, with 81 per cent consisting of soil and stones. While recovery rates exceed the EU target at 73 per cent, volumes are rising. Measures such as reusing greenfield soil and promoting recycled aggregates are helping advance circular practices in the sector.

The EPA’s national waste statistics are available on its website.