Updated 27 October 2022
Ireland and other EU Member States are required to report under a range of European waste directives and regulations including the Waste Framework Directive, the Landfill Directive and the Producer Responsibility Directives (Packaging and Packaging Waste, End-of-Life Vehicles, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Batteries and Accumulators). This includes information on waste generation and treatment and levels of compliance with recovery and recycling targets. The EPA publishes information on Ireland’s compliance towards EU targets on the National Waste Statistics webpages. Eurostat publishes waste data from all Member States to their Environmental Data Centre on Waste.
The table below provides information on Ireland’s progress to meeting these targets. This table is updated as data are submitted to the Commission (reporting deadline is generally eighteen months after the end of the calendar year being reported on). Please note that all numbers are rounded to closest integer.
Table 1. Ireland's progress towards EU waste targets
| EU Directive | Target Date | EU Target | Reference Year | Ireland's Rate | Indicator |
| Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) | 12/12/20 | Preparing for reuse and recycling of 50% by weight of household derived paper, metal, plastic & glass (calculation method 1) | 2020 | 54% | Achieved |
| 12/12/20 | Preparing for reuse, recycling and other material recovery (incl. beneficial backfilling operations using waste as a substitute) of 70% by weight of C&D non-hazardous waste (excluding natural soils & stone) | 2020 | 78% | Achieved | |
| 12/12/13 | Establishment of a National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP) | NWPP established in 2004 | Achieved | ||
| Packaging Directive (94/62/EC as amended) | 12/31/11 | 60% as a minimum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery. | 2020 | 94% | Achieved |
| 55% as a minimum by weight of packaging waste will be recycled. | 2020 | 62% | Achieved | ||
| No later than 31st December 2011 the following minimum recycling targets for materials contained in packaging waste will be attained: | |||||
| (i) 60% by weight for glass; | 2020 | 84% | Achieved | ||
| (ii) 60% by weight for paper and board; | 2020 | 78% | Achieved | ||
| (iii) 50% by weight for metals; | 2020 | 71% | Achieved | ||
| (iv) 22.5% by weight for plastics, counting exclusively material that is recycled back into plastics; | 2020 | 29% | Achieved | ||
| (v) 15% by weight for wood. | 2020 | 48% | Achieved | ||
| End of Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC) | 1/1/15 | Reuse and recovery to a minimum of 95% by average weight of vehicle and year. | 2021 | 96% | Achieved |
| Reuse and recycling to a minimum of 85% by average weight of vehicle and year. | 2021 | 88% | Achieved | ||
| Batteries Directive (2006/66/EC) | 9/26/16 | Minimum 45% collection rate for batteries & accumulators. | 2020 | 51% | Achieved |
| 9/26/11 | Recycling processes shall achieve the following minimum recycling efficiencies: | ||||
| (a) recycling of 65 % by average weight of lead-acid batteries and accumulators, including recycling of the lead content to the highest degree that is technically feasible while avoiding excessive costs; | 2020 | 88% | Achieved | ||
| (b) recycling of 75 % by average weight of nickel-cadmium batteries and accumulators, including recycling of the cadmium content to the highest degree that is technically feasible while avoiding excessive costs; and | 2020 | 79% | Achieved | ||
| (c) recycling of 50 % by average weight of other waste batteries and accumulators. | 2020 | 66% | Achieved | ||
| Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) | 12/16/20 | Biodegradable municipal waste going to landfills must be reduced to <610,000 tonnes | 2021 | 109,000 tonnes disposed to landfill | Achieved |
| WEEE Directive (2012/19/EC) | As of 2019 | Separate collection of ? 65% of WEEE in reference to electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market. | 2020 | 60% | Failed to achieve new target |
| 8/15/18 | For Temperature exchange equipment: Recovery shall be a minimum of 85% by an average weight per appliance; and Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be a minimum of 80% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 96% 86% | Achieved | |
| 8/15/18 | For Screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens having a surface greater than 100 cm²: Recovery shall be a minimum of 80% by an average weight per appliance; and Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be a minimum of 70% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 98% 85% | Achieved | |
| 8/15/18 | For Lamps: No recovery target Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be a minimum of 80% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 88% 82% | Achieved | |
| 8/15/18 | For Large equipment (any external dimension more than 50 cm): Recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 85% by an average weight per appliance; and Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 80% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 90% 86% | Achieved | |
| 8/15/18 | For Small equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm): Recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 75% by an average weight per appliance; and Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 55% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 89% 78% | Achieved | |
| 8/15/18 | For Small IT and telecommunications equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm): Recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 75% by an average weight per appliance; and Component, material and substance reuse and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 55% by an average weight per appliance. | 2020 | 88% 86% | Achieved |
Open in Excel: EPA_Progress_to_EU_Targets_Aug2023_xl (XLS 11KB)
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