EPA waste data release September 2024. Latest reference year 2022. All data are subject to Eurostat validation.
The C&D sector in Ireland generated an estimated 8.3 million tonnes of waste in 2022.
The annual quantity of C&D waste generated in Ireland increased considerably from 2014 to 2019 when it reached 8.1 million tonnes. During the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, waste reduced and when restrictions were lifted in 2021 it rose to 9 million tonnes and in 2022 it decreases to 8.3 million tonnes.
The decrease in C&D waste in 2022, particularly soil and stone waste, is likely due to a number of factors such as the type of development (housing, commercial, infrastructure) during the year, and the stage of construction of developments with significant excavation works.
The role of Regulation 27, by-product mechanism in reducing soil and stone waste in 2022 is also a factor to consider. The data shows that in 2022 over 2.6m tonnes of soil and stone was determined as by-product, not waste, see Figure 4.
Figure 1 presents data on the generation of C&D waste with the Production in Building and Construction Index (PBCI), which is an indicator of the level of construction activity nationally1.
Figure 1. Quantity of C&D waste managed compared with CSO Production in Building and Construction Index (PBCI). (Source: EPA, NWCPO and CSO).
Greater levels of C&D waste prevention can be achieved by employing best practice circular construction activities. This includes designing out waste, increase application of By-products Regulation 27 and maximising the use of resources specified for projects in line with the EPA’s revised Best Practice Guidelines for the Preparation of Resource Management Plans for Construction & Demolition Projects.
Table 1 provides compositional details of C&D waste generated in 2022. C&D waste is a mix of many different materials and the separation of these materials, either at C&D sites or at waste facilities is the necessary first step for recycling or other recovery of this waste.
Soil and stones (and similar material) made up the vast majority (82%) of C&D waste collected in 2022. The next largest C&D waste types generated in 2022 were concrete, brick, tile and gypsum3 waste and mixed C&D waste (7%) followed by waste collected separately as single material streams (wood, glass, plastic or metal), at 4%.
Table 1. Composition of C&D waste collected in Ireland in 2022
| C&D Waste Type | Tonnage | Per cent of total |
| Soils, stones & dredging spoil | 6,741,489 | 82% |
| Concrete, brick, tile & gypsum | 616,687 | 7% |
| Mixed C&D waste | 544,415 | 7% |
| Metal | 206,851 | 3% |
| Bituminous mixtures | 104,270 | 1% |
| Segregated wood, glass & plastic | 54,101 | >1% |
| Total | 8,267,813 | 100% |
Open in Excel: C&D_2024Sept_Ref2022_Table 1 Composition of C&D waste collected 2022 Excel (XLS 15KB)
Open in CSV : C&D_2024Sept_Ref2022_Table 1 Composition of C&D waste collected 2022 CSV (CSV 1KB)Most final treatment of C&D waste in 2022 took place in Ireland (94%) and only 6% was exported abroad for final treatment.
Most C&D waste treated in Ireland was recovered by backfilling (81%), while 7% went for disposal and only 10% was recycled (Figure 2).
Figure 3, below, shows the final treatment operations carried out on different C&D waste fractions in 20221.
Figure 3. Final treatment operation by C&D waste fraction in 2022
Backfilling2 is the most significant treatment of C&D waste. The prominence of backfilling as a final treatment operation reflects the high tonnages of waste soil and stones in the C&D waste stream.
Recycling was the main treatment operation for metals (100%), segregated wood, paper, glass and plastic (57%). Recycling rates for C&D waste can be improved by enhanced segregation of C&D waste into individual material streams, either at source or at waste processing facilities.
Disposal was mainly used for C&D waste treatment residues and a smaller share of mixed C&D waste and soil and stones. Table 2 provides details of the tonnages of the C&D waste treated.
Table 2. Final treatment operation by C&D waste stream in 2022.
| C&D Waste Type | Recycling (t) | Energy recovery (t) | Backfilling (t) | Disposal (t) | Total (t) |
| Concrete, brick, tile & gypsum* | 348,105 | 4,789 | 254,913 | 10,564 | 618,372 |
| Segregated wood, glass & plastic | 30,828 | 14,879 | 477 | 7,947 | 54,101 |
| Bituminous mixtures | 53,352 | 0 | 45,747 | 0 | 99,099 |
| Metals | 314,020 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 304,574 |
| Soils, stones & dredging spoil | 5,494 | 0 | 6,280,304 | 453,466 | 6,739,263 |
| Mixed C&D Waste | 31,238 | 35,635 | 26,578 | 46,951 | 140,402 |
| Waste treatment residues | 43,367 | 91,628 | 75,870 | 101,137 | 312,003 |
| Total | 816,943 | 146,931 | 6,683,870 | 620,070 | 8,267,813 |
| *Please note that no gypsum was backfilled or landfilled |
Open in Excel: C&D_2024Sept_Ref2022_Table 2 FT of C&D waste Excel (XLS 10KB)
Open in CSV : C&D_2024Sept_Ref2022_Table 2 FT of C&D waste CSV (CSV 1KB)Preventing waste and promoting reuse are integral to the circular economy. While this applies to all economic sectors, it is particularly relevant for the construction sector which handles large volumes of natural resources, such as soil and stone. Successful implementation of circular economy measures, such as by-product regulation3 and end of waste4 criteria in this sector could lead to millions of tonnes of resources beneficially reused or diverted from the waste management system every year.
The EPA’s new National By-product Criteria provide rules for the safe reuse of greenfield soil and stone and prevents it becoming a waste.
In 2022, one hundred and fourteen by-product notifications were assessed by the EPA. Figure 4 shows the quantities associated with soil and stone by-product notifications from 2018 – 2022.
The EPA determined that 2,630,095 tonnes of the soil and stone notified were by-product and that 203,851 tonnes were waste (Figure 4). Notifications for 9,900 tonnes were withdrawn.
Figure 4. Soil and stone by-product notifications submitted 2018 - 2022.
For more information on By-products Regulation 27 | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie) and End of Waste (Art. 28) | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie) are available on EPA website.
Read more about how the EPA compiles and reports Official European Waste Statistics.
[1] EPA estimates of C&D waste generated and treated are based on different datasets. Waste collectors record waste as it enters the waste treatment network, whereas the final treatment data indicate what happens to waste at the end of its journey through the waste treatment network. This can lead to differences in waste classifications and quantities. Notwithstanding this, following EPA data validation, there was a 3.0% difference overall between the tonnages of C&D waste collected and finally treated in 2022, providing a high level of confidence in the C&D waste statistics for 2022.
[2] It refers to a recovery operation carried out at authorised facilities, where suitable waste is used for land improvement, for reclamation purposes in excavated areas, or for engineering purposes in landscaping. Soil recovery facilities are typically worked out quarries in the process of being restored or sites where soil and stone are imported to raise natural ground levels.
[3] Regulation 27 (by-product) of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations, 2011-2020 allows an economic operator to decide, under certain circumstances, that a material is a by-product and not a waste. It allows construction and demolition materials to be used elsewhere on development projects as a by-product and not discarded as a waste. Decisions made by economic operators under Regulation 27 must be notified to the EPA. The EPA may determine to agree with the economic operator’s by-product decision, where conditions of Regulation 27 are demonstrated to be fulfilled; alternatively, otherwise, the EPA may determine that the notified material is waste.
[4] National End-of-Waste Criteria-for Recycled Aggregates were published in 2023 and will likely impact on future C&D waste arisings.
