Waste packaging statistics for Ireland
EPA waste data release, 25 November 2024. Latest reference year 2022 (data subject to Eurostat validation)
Packaging comes with the products we buy for our homes and businesses. It protects them during transport, keeps them fresh and provides product information. Once the products are unpacked, the packaging become waste.
In 2022, Ireland generated over 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste.
The largest component of packaging waste is paper & cardboard followed by plastic, glass, wood, metal, see figure 1. For details on tonnes per material stream see table 1.
Figure 1: Packaging waste generation
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Table 1 Waste packaging generation and treatment 2022
Material Packaging waste generated Recycling in Ireland Recycling in Other EU Member States Recycling Outside the EU Total recycling Total recycling Rate Total Energy Recovery Total Energy and Other Recovery Rate Packaging waste Total Recovery (incl recycling) Plastic 344,878 22,775 36,921 51,146 110,842 32% 222,150 64% 97% Wood (excl. wood repair)* 104,813 51,878 0 45 51,924 50% 52,986 51% 100% Metals Ferrous Metal 47,359 11,999 695 21,263 33,956 72% 0% 72% Aluminium Metal 32,604 1,829 3,863 4,207 9,899 30% 1,202 4% 34% Glass 182,753 148,927 0 2,185 151,112 83% 0 0% 83% Paper & Cardboard 487,834 624 75,871 290,208 366,703 75% 110,331 23% 98% Other (textiles) 7,690 0 1 49 50 1% 3,838 50% 51% Total 1,207,931 238,031 117,350 369,103 724,485 60.0% 390,507 32% 92% *Total incl. wood repair 1,263,777 780,331 61.7% 93% Data table for 2022 reference year as submitted to the European Commission. Data in tonnes unless otherwise specified. *The EU reporting format requires that wooden packaging repaired for reuse (55486 tonnes) is reported separately, however this can be included in the calculation of Ireland's recycling rate. Open in Excel: Table 1 Waste packaging generation, recycling and recovery in 2022 xlsx (XLS 13KB)
Open in CSV : Table 1 Waste packaging generation, recycling and recovery in 2022 csv (CSV 1KB)
Packaging waste generation and recycling differences
Packaging waste is on an increasing trend of almost 22% based on the base year of 2016. recycling has also increased, but at 9% on the base year of 2016, recycling is increasing almost two and a half times slower than packaging waste generation.
Figure 2: Packaging waste generation and recycling trends with base year 2016
Figure 3 illustrates the difference in packaging waste generated and recycled. The gap between packaging waste generation and recycling has been growing over the years. 2022 has seen a positive change as there has been a decrease in packaging waste generation and an increase in packaging waste recycling. This positive change needs to grow and continue long into the future if we are to meet our packaging waste recycling targets.
Figure 3: Difference between waste generated and recycled with recycling rate
The packaging waste recycling target for 2025 is 65%. In 2016 our packaging waste recycling rate was 67%. Since then, our recycling rate has decreased to 60% in 2022. The tonnes of packaging waste recycled have actually increased since then, but at a much-reduced increase compared to the increase in waste generation. The increase in waste generation is the driving force behind the recycling rate decrease. The waste framework directive’s waste hierarchy states that preventing waste generation is the preferred option when dealing with waste. Ireland needs big improvement in packaging waste prevention.
Link to waste framework directive: Waste Framework Directive - European Commission
Plastic packaging own resources
Plastic own resource is a new EU financial contribution based on the non-recycled plastic packaging waste. The plastics own resource, in place since 1 January 2021, consists of a national contribution based on the amount of non-recycled plastic packaging waste. A uniform rate of €0.80 per kilogram will be applied to the weight of plastic packaging waste that is not recycled. There is with a mechanism to avoid excessive contributions from less wealthy Member States.
Link to European commission website with further information on plastics own resource Plastics own resource - European Commission
Ireland must pay €0.80 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging waste. This is why measures such as the deposit return scheme have been implemented. This will increase plastic packaging recycling and reduce the contribution owed.
Figure 4: Plastic packaging waste generated and recycled with plastic packaging recycling rate
In the graph above we can see that Ireland has recycled 32% of the plastic packaging waste it generated in 2022. This means that Ireland must pay the contribution to the EU for the remaining 68% of plastic packaging waste not recycled. This equates to €187,229,474 for the year 2022. Increasing the rate of plastic recycling will decrease the amount owed in the contribution.
Increasing Ireland’s plastic recycling would save extraction of primary raw materials. The benefits to this would be a decrease in the sum Ireland must contribute to the EU commission for plastic own resource and to help meet the 2025 packaging waste recycling target of 65% by 2025.
Circular economy
Recycling is part of the solution to packaging waste generation, and Ireland must achieve packaging recycling targets set out in the EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. However, in a circular economy, packaging would be designed for reuse, rather than just one use followed by recycling.
Reuse is preferable because recycling costs energy and uses resources, for example water for washing and fuel for transport and reprocessing. Designing packaging for multiple reuse trips makes the best use of raw materials, protects biodiversity from excessive extraction of raw materials, reduces emissions and reduces waste.
Figure 5: Packaging waste generation and modified gross national income (GNI) at constant market prices 2022
Ireland’s packaging generation correlates with economic indicators such as modified Gross National Income (GNI) see figure 2 above. Ireland needs to decouple waste generation from economic performance and transition to a circular economy. There has been a slight decrease in waste generation in 2022 while the GNI continues to rise. Ireland needs to continue this trend and improve upon it further to begin transitioning to a circular economy.
The GNI figures can be found on the CSO website by following this link Modified GNI - CSO - Central Statistics Office
Key trends - overall packaging recycling
In 2022, Ireland recycled more tonnes than ever, and this can be seen by the increasing trend in the height of the orange bars in the chart in figure 6.
Packaging waste generation is shown in blue bars in figure 6. The recycling rate, the green line in figure 6, had been on a decreasing trend since before 2016, until last year. In 2022 the recycling rate has increased to 60%. This is a welcome improvement, but Ireland still needs to improve in the coming years to meet our EU recycling targets for packaging waste. The EU target is 65% recycling rate by 2025 and 70% recycling rate by 2030.
Recycling cannot keep up with the rate of increase of packaging generation. Ireland’s packaging recycling rate increased in 2022 to 60% from the 2021 recycling rate of 58%. While this is an increase it is still a decrease from the 2020 recycling rate of 62%.
There was an increase in packaging material recycled from 2021 to 2022 of almost 5,000 tonnes. In 2022 there was over 480,000 tonnes of packaging material that was not recycled. The improvement between 2022 and 2021 is an encouragement but there is room for much greater improvement.
Figure 6: Ireland's packaging recycling rate
We need to tackle waste generation so that we can
- make the best use of raw materials
- reduce climate emissions associated with production, processing, transport and treatment
- reduce material extraction
- reduce waste
- achieve the 2025 packaging recycling target of 65% and the 2030 packaging target of 70%
Key trend - material streams recycling trend
There are individual recycling targets for each material stream. In 2022, Ireland achieved the current recycling targets for paper & cardboard, plastic, glass, wood and metal. See green dot in Figure 7
Figure 7: Packaging waste recycling in 2022 versus recycling targets
Ireland is already achieving the 2025 target for glass and wood; the orange dot represents the targets for 2025. Recycling targets for 2025 separated out reporting for metals into metal types (ferrous and aluminium). Ireland is already achieving the 2025 target for ferrous metal. However, the 2025 target for plastic and aluminium are looking increasingly unlikely to be achieved.
The deposit return scheme that began operation in 2024 should positively impact both plastic and aluminium recycling rates. The overall packaging recycling rate is achievable, but it would need, approximately 2% increase every year up to 2025 to hit the target. The blue dots represent the 2030 recycling targets, these will be challenging for all material streams except wood and glass.
Reusable packaging
According to data compiled by Repak, over 12,000 tonnes of reusable packaging were placed on the Irish market in 2022. This representedall packaging placed on the market in 2022. This means that the remaining 99% of packaging waste consisted of single-use packaging. Examples of reusable packaging include wooden pallets, kegs, IBCs, trays, plastic boxed trays and buckets.
On the basis of multiple rotations of use, approximately 114,000 tonnes of single-use packaging waste were avoided via repeat use of over 12,000 tonnes of reusable packaging in Ireland in 2022.
According to Repak data, ferrous metal is the material stream with the highest level of reuse in Ireland, followed by wood and then plastic.
By 31 December 2024, the European Commission shall examine data on reusable packaging provided by Member States with a view to considering the feasibility of setting quantitative targets on reuse of packaging to promote this sector
Future focus
A new European regulation on packaging is expected to be published in late 2024/early 2025. This will include packaging reduction targets to reduce plastic packaging waste in particular.
Ireland's waste action prevention plan for circular economy and circular economy act 2022 also contain measures to achieve reductions in waste generation and improve Ireland's packaging recycling rates. However, these need swift implementation to assist us in reaching 2025 recycling targets. These include:
- lightweighting of packaging as per annex II of Pack Directive
- continue action against unnecessary packaging
- quantitative targets on reuse
- support businesses taking the lead in waste reduction
- promotion of refill and reuse
- new financial and regulatory measures aimed at reducing plastic waste generation and single-use plastics
- the continued rollout of eco-modulation pricing to fund the collection and recycling of higher-quality packaging materials
- supports for increased use of recycled materials in plastic packaging to enhance the market value of post-consumer plastic
- a study examining options to reduce the use of single use packaging in the sale of fruit and vegetables
- monitoring the effectiveness of the mandatory segregation and incentivised charging regime for commercial waste and the waste recovery levy
Data compilation
Ireland’s packaging waste generation and treatment figures are compiled by EPA using data obtained from waste operators (collectors and facilities), local authorities, and waste brokers and from Repak annually. Relevant characterisation factors are applied to the data for mixed waste streams to estimate the proportion of packaging based on the EPA’s most recent waste characterisation studies.
The data are cross-checked against data held by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and data reported to Repak, while exports are cross-checked against data from the National Transfrontier Shipment Office. Estimates for unmanaged waste are based on CSO data from the National Household Survey.
European reporting
As part of annual reporting under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the EPA submits packaging waste statistics for Ireland to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications for transmission to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
The data are required to be submitted by 30th June of the reference year +18 months (i.e. 2022 data were collected and processed in 2023 and submitted in June, 2024). Following validation by Eurostat, official statistics for Ireland and all Members are published on the Eurostat website as part of the following datasets:
To see data from previous years see: Packaging Data Archive | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie)