Composting & anaerobic digestion highlights from 2024
548,000 tonnes
of waste collected in Ireland were treated at composting and anaerobic digestion facilities.
304,000 tonnes of waste was sent for biostabilisation.
This is in addition to the 548,000 tonnes of waste sent for composting and anaerobic digestion.
This page contains EPA waste data for Ireland’s composting and anaerobic digestion in 2026 (released October 2026). These data are compiled as part of Waste Statistics Regulation and municipal waste reporting under the Waste Framework Directive, the Waste Statistics Regulation, the Landfill Directive and the OECD/Eurostat Joint Questionnaire and are subject to further validation.
Highlights ~ Waste sources ~ Treatment ~ More information ~ Links
Waste sources
Municipal waste made up 61% (335,000 tonnes) of the 548,000 tonnes of waste accepted for composting and anaerobic digestion in 2024. The remainder came from other/industrial sources e.g. sludges.
Treatment
Composting and anaerobic digestion
Of the 548,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste collected, 58% of the was treated by anaerobic digestion, and 42% by composting.
66% of waste accepted for composting and anaerobic digestion in 2024 was treated at facilities in Ireland while 34% was transferred to facilities in Northern Ireland.
Biostabilisation
Biostabilisation is a waste treatment that involves the breakdown of biodegradable material prior to depositing the waste into a landfill. This is done to minimise the generation of gas and leachate.
Approximately 304,000 tonnes of waste was treated with biostabilisation in 2024.
Treatment abroad
Of Ireland’s biodegradable waste, approximately 364,000 tonnes (66%) were treated in Ireland while 184,000 tonnes (34%) were exported to composting or anaerobic digestion facilities in Northern Ireland for treatment in 2024.
Of the waste exported, 65% was sent for anaerobic digestion and 35% was sent for composting.
It is estimated that approximately 159,000 tonnes of waste was home composted in Ireland in 2024.
More information
- Ideally, all biodegradable waste should be separated before it is discarded to ensure it can be treated by composting or AD rather than by biostabilisation and disposal at landfill.
- Approximately 61% of all waste accepted for treatment via composting and AD in 2024 was from municipal sources.
- In 2024, approximately 304,000 tonnes of organic fines and other mixed waste was accepted in Ireland for biostabilisation. This waste often arises from the mechanical treatment of residual waste.
- There has been a rise in the treatment of organic fines and other mixed waste at composting plants in Ireland in recent years. This reflects the fact that most residual waste in Ireland is now pre-treated mechanically at waste facilities, for example by trommelling, before it is sent for disposal. The wastes arising from this pre-treatment process, along with other mixed wastes, undergo biostabilisation to reduce their biological activity to an EPA-approved standard. The biostabilised waste can then be disposed of at landfill or sent for further treatment.
Links
Compost and Anaerobic Digestion Data Archive | Environmental Protection Agency
Municipal Waste Characterisation | Environmental Protection Agency
Household Waste Data Archive | Environmental Protection Agency
A Household Guide to Composting | Environmental Protection Agency
Food Waste Statistics for Ireland | Environmental Protection Agency
Biodegradable Municipal Waste to Landfill | Environmental Protection Agency
Regulation - 849/2010 - EN - EUR-Lex
Directive - 2008/98 - EN - Waste framework directive - EUR-Lex