Irish people urgently need to reverse dropping recycling rates and use less packaging in the fight against climate change, the national eco watchdog has warned.
New research by the Environmental Protection Agency reveals a ‘worrying’ fall in recycling rates, which dropped by 10% across the country in six years.
Just 64% of waste packaging was recycled in 2018 compared with 74% in 2012.
When it comes to plastic, our record is even worse with only a third of packaging recycled in 2018, marking a three year low.
Meanwhile the amount of packaging being sent for incineration has risen steadily year on year.
The figures show Irish households are producing more than a million tonnes of waste per year including paper and cardboard, plastic, glass, wood and metal packaging.
Dr Tara Higgins of the EPA said: “Each tonne of packaging releases greenhouse gases during extraction of raw materials, manufacture, transport and waste management process.
“The quantity of packaging waste generated needs to be reduced to bring about environmental and climate benefits.
She added: “The Government’s forthcoming Waste and Circular Economy Action Plan provides an opportunity to set out concrete actions that will address the worrying trends highlighted in these figures and help Ireland meet challenging new EU targets in the coming years.”
The Agency called on Irish households and businesses to separate waste properly and reduce their use of packaging, which now makes up a third of domestic waste.
The EPA’s sustainability Director Dr Eimear Cotter added: “Households and businesses can drive this change by avoiding over-packaged goods which sends a strong signal back to producers to innovate for reduced packaging and reusable alternatives.
“We must also maximise recycling of the remaining materials, and waste collectors have a critical role here in ensuring their customers segregate correctly and use the appropriate bin.
She added: “To support this, Ireland’s recycling list should, as a matter of urgency, be reviewed to expand the variety of waste types that can be recycled.”
