Leading by example
The public sector aims to reduce environmental and carbon impacts through creating demand for more sustainable goods and services. The EPA's Circular Economy Progrmme supports the public sector in its’ leadership and transition to the circular economy by collaborating on a cross-government level to build capacity, providing guidance and funding. The Circular Economy Programme supports include Green Public Procurement and facilitating local authorities to implement circularity actions through grant-aid funding.
Green Public Procurement
Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact. The NWPP leads on progressing the rollout and use of GPP in the public sector under the Climate Action Plan by providing up-to-date guidance on implementing GPP and through developing and delivering training for the public sector. GPP has a key role to play in delivering on ambitious national targets on climate and waste prevention. There are obligations on every public body to play its part. Under the Programme for Government, all procurement using public funds will have to include green criteria by 2023.
The EPA has successfully progressed Green Public Procurement activities required under the Climate Action Plan through:
- Latest publication of the Green Public Procurement Guidance
- Developing a new online training programme for public sector procurers and specifiers and promoting the training through existing procurement networks as well as through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and DECC. Over the course of the 2020 programme, 94 public sector procurers attended the training representing 63 public sector organisations, a mix of local authorities, government departments, state agencies, and educational bodies.
- Developing GPP monitoring and reporting guidance and a template for government departments who are required to report on green public procurement in their 2020 departmental annual reports.
National Reuse and Repair Network
Welcome to Ireland’s National Reuse and Repair Network webpage where you will find information about the National Reuse and Repair Network and its activities to support, develop and scale the reuse and repair sectors in Ireland. The network will operate from 2024 until the end of 2026, with the effectiveness of the network assessed by the steering committee.
What does the National Resue and Repair Network do?
Reuse and repair are important elements of a functioning circular economy by extending the useful life of products. The main objective of the National Reuse and Repair Network (Network) is to bring together organisations operating within the reuse and repair sectors to support development and growth of reuse and repair activities through exploiting the considerable knowledge and experience across member organisations. These activities are in line with both National and EU level policy and supported by a growing focus on waste prevention and circularity initiatives
The Network has five strategic outcomes, each supporting the overarching aim, which are:
- Ireland has an effective system for reporting on reuse and repair.
- Reuse and repair skills are building within the population, and opportunities exist to develop skills and employment.
- Barriers to reuse and repair are removed, and opportunities are readily available.
- Reuse and repair are standard practice in priority areas.
- The network has delivered effective communications on reuse and repair.
The Network member organisations are:
Network members include key organisations operating in the reuse and/or repair environments. These include:
| Organisation Name | Logo | Website address |
|---|---|---|
| An Post | https://www.anpost.com/ | |
| CIRCULÉIRE/Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) | https://www.circuleire.ie/ | |
| Charity Retail Ireland | https://charityretail.ie/ | |
| Community Resources Network (CRNI) | .png){kind=logo}
|
https://crni.ie/ |
| Department of Climate, Energy & the Environment | https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/ | |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 
|
http://www.epa.ie/ |
| European Recycling Platform | .png)
|
https://erp-recycling.org/ie/ |
| Irish Countrywomen's Association | .JPG){kind=logo}
|
https://www.ica.ie/ |
|
Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) |
https://www.igbc.ie/ | |
| Libraries Development Committee | ||
| Local Enterprise Office | https://www.localenterprise.ie/ | |
| Local Government Management Agency | .png.jpg){kind=logo}
|
https://www.lgma.ie/en/ |
| Producer Register Ltd (PRL) | https://www.producerregister.ie/ | |
| Rediscovery Centre | .jpg){kind=logo}
|
https://www.rediscoverycentre.ie/ |
| Repair My Stuff.ie (Monaghan Co Co) | https://www.repairmystuff.ie/ | |
| REPAK | .png){kind=logo}
|
https://repak.ie/ |
| SOLAS | https://www.solas.ie/ | |
| WEEE Ireland | https://www.weeeireland.ie/ |