Circular Economy and Waste Statistics

The EPA's role in waste statistics

We produce a range of official statistics on waste generation and management in Ireland. These are used for reporting on Ireland’s performance in meeting its legal obligations, for policy and waste management planning purposes and to inform the general public. We compile our waste statistics from surveys and administrative data sources. Find out more in our A to Z of waste statistics page.

Ireland's waste story

People living in Ireland produce more than 14 million tonnes of waste every year. We do this in our homes, our places of work and leisure.

International and national waste policy is drawn up so that we produce less waste, and that the waste we do create is recycled as much as possible. What cannot be recycled should at least serve another useful purpose (such as energy production).

A large proportion of Ireland's waste legislation springs from our membership of the European Union. The EU Circular Economy package of measures is designed to ensure that once raw materials have entered our economy, they are kept in circulation for as long as possible, rather than being disposed of after one use. Find out more about the EPA's role in driving the Circular Economy in Ireland.

There are simple actions we can all take, both at home and in our communities, to prevent waste and increase re-use and recycling.

View our latest waste statistics

Municipal

Municipal waste is made up of household waste and commercial waste of a similar nature. The EPA reports on how much municipal waste Ireland generates and how this waste is treated.

Interesting Fact:

3.19 million tonnes

of municipal waste was generated in Ireland in 2022

Waste Generation

Waste generation refers to the total tonnage of waste that is disposed of and enters the waste management system for treatment in Ireland each year.

Interesting Fact:

15.7 million tonnes

of waste was generated in Ireland in 2022. Mineral wastes including soil, gravel, rock, clay, concrete, slag and ash accounted for 10.0 million tonnes of this.

Household

Household waste includes waste collected directly from households in the residual, recycling and organic bins and waste brought by householders to waste collection centres such as bring banks, civic amenity sites, pay-to-use compactors and landfills.

Interesting Fact:

1.8 million tonnes

of waste was generated by Irish households in 2022

Tyres

Tyres become waste when worn-out tyres on vehicles are replaced. If not managed properly, waste tyres pose a threat to the atmosphere, to land, soil, water, plants and animals.

Interesting Fact:

62,931 tonnes

of waste tyres were collected and treated in 2022.

Composting & Anaerobic Digestion

Composting is a natural process that uses bacteria and fungi to recycle organic material, such as kitchen and garden waste, into compost. Anaerobic digestion uses bacteria to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen to treat animal manures, wastewater biosolids and food wastes.

Interesting Fact:

590,000 tonnes

quantity of waste accepted for treatment at composting & anaerobic digestion facilities in 2021

Construction & Demolition

C&D waste is made up of many different materials such as soil and stones, concrete, bricks, tiles and gypsum waste. The treatment route for most C&D waste is backfilling.

Interesting Fact:

8.3 million tonnes

of C&D waste was generated in Ireland in 2022

Food

Food waste is a global problem that has environmental, social and economic consequences. More than one quarter of the food produced globally is wasted.

Interesting Fact:

750,000 tonnes

of food waste was generated in Ireland in 2022.

Packaging

Most of the products we buy are contained in packaging to protect them during transport and make them look attractive on shop shelves. When the goods are unpacked, the packaging become waste. Ireland generated over 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2022.

Interesting Fact:

60%

of Ireland's packaging waste was recycled in 2022, up slightly from 58% in 2021.

Hazardous

Hazardous waste is waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. Most hazardous waste is Ireland is generated by large industry and the construction sector, with smaller amounts generated by healthcare, small businesses, households and farms.

Interesting Fact:

Over 380,000 tonnes

of hazardous waste was generated in Ireland in 2023

WEEE

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing waste streams worldwide. In 2022, Ireland surpassed all EU targets for recycling and recovery of WEEE.

Interesting Fact:

63,946

of WEEE was collected in Ireland for treatment in 2023

End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV)

ELVs are cars or light commercial vehicles that are no longer suitable for use and are discarded as waste. Some 105,494 ELVs (scrap vehicles) were treated in Ireland in 2022.

Interesting Fact:

88.47%

Ireland's ELV reuse and recycling rate in 2022

Biodegradable Municipal Waste

BMW comprises those elements of municipal waste that will rot or degrade biologically, including food waste, garden & park waste, and waste paper & cardboard.

Interesting Fact:

170,000 tonnes

of BMW was disposed to landfill in Ireland in 2023

Single use plastics

Single use plastics are plastics that are used once and then disposed of. Typical single use plastics include plastic cutlery, straws, beverage containers and food containers.

Interesting Fact:

947 tonnes

of cups for beverages including their covers and lids made wholly of plastic were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022.

Infrastructure

Learn more about Ireland's waste infrastructure here.

Interesting Fact:

3 landfills

in Ireland accepted municipal waste in 2021, compared with 21 a decade earlier

Reuse

Reuse is any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.

Interesting Fact:

10.64 kg per person

Is Ireland's annual reuse rate in 2021

Waste Oils

Waste oils are hazardous waste and include any mineral or synthetic lubrication or industrial oils which have become unfit for the use for which they were originally intended. Examples include used combustion engine oils and gearbox oils, lubricating oils, oils for turbines, and hydraulic oils. The proper management of this waste is crucial to ensure ensure that damage to the environment is prevented and there is no risk to water, soil, air, plants, or animals.

Interesting Fact:

21,789 tonnes

of waste oils were made available for energy recovery in Ireland in 2022

Waste Statistics Data Archive

The EPA Circular Economy and Waste Statistics team has been compiling data for statutory European and international reporting obligations for over 20 years. The Waste Statistics Data Archive is compiled from previous annual reports published by the EPA and data that have previously been available on our webpage.

Interesting Fact:

18 million tonnes

is the all-time high for annual Construction and Demolition waste generated. This happened in 2007, which corresponds to the end of a period of economic growth in Ireland, often called the Celtic Tiger.