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JUST 28% OF Ireland’s plastic packaging is recycled, as the country remains some distance away from meeting mandatory EU targets.
The remainder was sent for incineration (70%) and disposal (2%), according to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
It’s short of the EU target of 50%, due to take effect from 2025. Targets for household and commercial waste are also some way off, at 41% instead of 55%.
The recycling of waste electrical and electronic goods is close to reaching the 2025 target however – it’s just 1 per cent behind the 65% goal.
But the EPA warned that Ireland’s overall targets are in danger, as the country remains overly reliant on “unpredictable” export markets with almost 382,000 tonnes of residual waste sent for incineration abroad.
In its Circular Economy and Waste Statistics Highlights report examining the year 2021, the EPA said that continued high levels of waste generation coupled with stagnating recycling rates mean it is unlikely that Ireland will meet mandatory EU recycling targets.
This includes soft plastic which is almost all burned in Irish kilns or recycled abroad, according to the findings of an investigation by Noteworthy last year.
A circular economy is one where materials are recirculated, and used again and again, and waste is minimised.
Recycling targets set down by the EU are due to apply from 2025 for municipal waste, packaging waste and plastic packaging waste.
These targets will prioritise recycling over energy recovery and landfill. The European Commission put forward a Circular Economy Package in December 2015, which was followed by a national waste policy devised by the Irish government published in September 2021.
The director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability David Flynn said that Ireland needed to quicken its transition to a circular economy.
“We continue to throw away far too much, wasting valuable materials. We live on a resource-finite planet and resource extraction causes greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and water stress,” Flynn said.
“To reduce these impacts, we must accelerate our transition from a linear economy to a circular, more resource-efficient economy.
Right now, we need to focus on avoiding waste. That means reusing construction waste materials where possible, becoming better at segregating our municipal waste and vastly improving the recycling of packaging materials.
Municipal waste recycling rates remained unchanged at 41%, while packaging recycling fell by 4% to 58%.
Ireland exported 38% of municipal waste was exported for treatment in 2021, including 382,000 tonnes of residual waste exported for energy recovery through incineration. 69% of packaging waste was exported for treatment.
Commenting on the findings from the report, the programme Manager of the EPA’s Circular Economy Programme, Warren Phelan, said:
“Ireland is overly reliant on the export of waste for treatment and we are vulnerable to shocks and changes in international markets.
“We do not have enough facilities for the treatment of non-hazardous and hazardous waste which are missed opportunities to capture the energy and economic value of these wastes.”
Hazardous waste
However, there was a decrease of hazardous waste generated in Ireland by 16 per cent in 2021.
The EPA said this was due to a form of ash produced in incineration facilities, known as incinerator bottom ash, being reclassified as a non-hazardous waste in April 2020.
It also pointed to decreased dredging at Dublin Port and the ceasing of activities at Limerick Gas Works as reasons behind the notable decrease in hazardous waste generation.
Other good news could be found in Ireland “continuing to meet all reuse and recycling rate targets” for end-of-life vehicles in 2021 – the collection rate for these increased by 22.5%.
The environmental regulator called for improvements to waste prevention, especially in the construction and demolition sector which saw waste increase by 10% to 9 million tonnes.
This increase correlated with a re-opening of the construction sector in mid-2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the watchdog noted.
The EPA also urged a roll-out of a brown bin service for organic waste to all customers and improving waste segregation by businesses and householders putting their waste into the correct bins.
69% of Irish households had access brown bin in 2021, which was an increase of five per cent from 2020.
However, “strong regional variations” were found in the provisions of brown bin services across the country.
Municipal waste
Municipal waste, which is derived from what we produce every day in our homes, offices, businesses and schools, amounted to 3.17 million tonnes in 2021. This was a slight decrease of 1 per cent from 3.2 million tonnes in 2020.
Of this, 16% was disposed to landfills in 2021 and 41.5% was treated by energy recovery through incineration.
Packaging waste rose by 9 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes in 2021.
72,000 tonnes of Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) was collected in 2021, a rise of 10%.
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Slightly off topic but Moore street was never the vibrant market portrayed in oral history and tourist posters. It was always smelly and slapdash. It is tiny. Compare it to the central market in any other European capital like Barcelona. Clean the place up and build proper stalls. Close the Chinese and Nigerian shops and give Dublin a Moore St to be proud of
Good point, we have a market area (Smithfield) and like it out not, the street traders were able to cover the massive illigal trade in the area that made Moore street an area to avoid for 40 years. The derelict buildings are a part of that, and while it may be nostalgic to remember the stories, these buildings are not fit for that. That side of Henry Street needs regeneration, and part of that would include a museum, but holding up progress for the sake of personal memories isn’t right. Comparisons to the major battle places is incorrect as well… the GPO more than fulfills that role.
Well said alien, moore street is not an area of significant history. It is a crime laden area of the city with more likeness to Beijing or lagos than dublin. The proposed revamping of moore street includes a museum and a partial indoor area for traders. The gas thing is, the fruit sellers on moore street want this change and actually are against this occupation. Dublin is growing and needs redevelopment but let’s be honest, the vast majority of these occupiers are the same anti everything brigade. It’s their hobby / job. Wasters!
I’d love to see it upgraded. Put in a strip of nice, independent shops selling quality Irish produce. There is huge demand for that and would be a lot nicer than another bog standard shopping centre filled with UK and US chain stores. I won’t hold my breath on DCC coming up with a good solution though.
Moore St was never just Moore Street alone, before they built the Ilac centre that whole area was made up of stalls selling food, cloths and everything you could think off. The traders were then forced onto Moore St when they closed the surrounding area. Moore St is embedded in Dublin heritage and for many thousands of Families was the shopping area every Fri Sat. I agree that it should be cleaned up but don’t take away the character of the area. Leaving the building as they are is not an answer as they will become dilapidated and beyond repair.
Kevin, No one wanted Moore street before the Chinese and Nigerians moved in because the place was a kip and pretty much still is.
Btw my point was not directed at Chinese or Nigerian businesses per se but the kinds of shops that seem to populate the street like phone unlocking and nasty Internet cafes.
Ethnic cleansing is not the answer to everything Kevin.
” Close the Chinese and Nigerian shops”
You are a bigot.
@James Xenophon,
But you seem to think it’s OK to ethnically cleanse the native Irish.
Four of them were interviewed on Saturday on the Marion finnucane show , all of them
Are also water protesters !! Where to they get their time to do all this serial protesting ?
Or possibly people who care both about our history and future?
Great article, fantastic to see so many people taking a stand on this.
Did you not read the article? After work on a Friday. and on the weekend.
Or possibly people with too much time on their hands maybe ?
Them houses have been derelect for over 40 years..Why the protest now.
Because there is a move to demolish them, ironically (or intentionally) during the year we celebrate the 1916 Rising.
@Lorna Leonard
The “Save Moore Street” campaign has been going on for about 15 years now. It is strongly backed by the 1916 Relatives’ Association.
Renovate the buildings to what they were in 1916, and turn the whole street into a museum. The National Museum has far more stuff than it has space to display, here is an opportunity to put this stuff on display in the very place where it was used. Half the retail centres in the country are empty we don’t really need another, but when these buildings are gone what will we do? lead people round Starbucks or MacDonalds and tell them “This is where the Barricade so many died to man used to be. Over there in that closed unit with the whited out windows is where Connolly lay bleeding”? We have a chance to hounor the start of our Independence and create a world class interpretive centre in the actual buildings where men and women fought and bled for a dream of an Ireland of equals.
If you renovate number 18 & 19 to restore them to how they were in 1916 you’d have to demolish them.
They didn’t exist in 1916.
The ignorance of this simple fact is truly astounding.
You’re quoting from the bible of Heather Humphries – who, in an effort to justify the commencement of the demolition, first tried to tell us that there were no foundations to these houses – despite them having been built in 1832 ……. don’t believe all you hear or read in the newspapers….
Well said Sean, a government are complete sellouts of our history and our nation.
Fair play to them
The building in which the Rising leaders held their final council of war is being preserved. The buildings that are being demolished have no connection to the Rising.
John Bruton(former Taoiseach) said in a recent interview that 1916 was totally unnecessary & a waste of Irish lives. Home Rule had bee granted & the rising was misguided. These decisions are being made by a Government of this thinking. How can we protect our heritage from them???
He isn’t wrong that it was a total and unmitigated disaster. It was effectively a Coup within the Irish Volunteer movement as the radical left fringe used subterfuge to fool the various Volunteer organisations into thinking that it was sanctioned.
The true Genesis of an independent Ireland comes from the Conscription crisis of 1918 and not some Disney style patriotic call to arms following 1916. During and after the German Michael Offensive, the British army had an acute manpower shortage of which there was much lobbying to conscript the previously exempt Ireland. With that, membership of the IRA ballooned.
TLDR: It was the Conscription Crisis and not Easter 1916 which pushed thousands of Irish men into the IRA. This is a fact that is backed up by historical records and not some opinion of some Republican revisionist. Reclaim your history.
He was right. A total waste of time and lives. You go and celebrate failure if you want or you can grow up.
Sure we really only achieved freedom in the 1990s
We should be revering Mary Raftery and not Micheal Collins.
Ron where is your standup routine showing, i need to know to avoid it.
It’s like Homestore and More….! When they’re gone they’re gone!
They didn’t seem to care about these derelict looking buildings for decades.
Bandwagoners. They were the same group that jump on the anti everything. This is their flavour of the month
The Save Moore Street campaign has been running for the last 15 years.
A pity they didn’t knock moore street 16 yrs ago to stop the most useless campaign of all time.
This article is misinformation designed to confuse people unfamiliar with the situation.
The author is a history teacher which makes the misinformation even worse
The buildings that will be demolished did not exist in their present form in 1916 at all .
As far as I can see this is just the usual roving mob of protesters and bandwagon jumpers.
Very nice Sean. Brilliant article
It full of “Serial” protesters – the same ones you’d see at the water protests .
Any chance to rise up against the establishment !
Nothing to do with keeping the Moore st buildings .
Bin Charges , Property tax, Water charges, Modular Homes being built in Ballymun, Moore Street , exact same heads you will see at each protest .
Yes because these type of people have taken it up the a**e from the Government for too long now. And can’t take it anymore
Derek ,yet they are happy to take their €188 of said government !
Pretty sure teachers don’t get the dole.
Should be turned into a museum or something fcuk sake trying to tear it down what’s wrong with use c.unts
Good riddance – and take those horrible hawkers away too, please!
A history teacher does not necessarily teach history. Some history teachers, it would appear, do not understand the difference between an insurgent and a rebel.
Great article Seán, fair play.
Its very important that all these buildings are preserved for future generations. I dont think anyone has a problem with the buildings being renovated in regards to an interpretive centre. For me, i would love to see a cultural quarter being set up around the Moore Street area, something that Dublin is sadly lacking.
Its also interesting to see some people in the comments section here who support the destruction that is planned, also show some racist/xenophobic tendencies in their posts.
Well said Kevin move the Chinese and nigerians what are they doing there in first place some irish street that is more like spot the irish on at street
They’re there because it’s a fvcking kip. Simple as.
Good man Sean sending the right message as usual.
Where were all the “saviours” of Moore st for the last 20 years as the street became a den for drug use, drug sales. Where were they when the “home” of the rising was taken over by phone repair shops, hair extensions shops and the likes? If the place is so precious why haven’t they been down there before protesting?
They’ve been protesting since the late 90s. Google search Save 16 Moore Street
They have David. Protests have been held for many years now.
Is it worth a quick profit for some developer to destroy this ?
There are many empty sites, shops and units across the city or even very near to these buildings.
O’Connell street needs to be re vamped. empty building and empty sites. This does not need to include the destruction of our heritage for greed. The builder will make a quick profit and then the shops will struggle to keep rent payments until they leave and make room for the Euro Shops, Starbucks, Dealz and Phone shops that are on every corner, we might even get a Penneys so we don’t have to walk to the other 3 about 50 meters away.
Get traders back, clean up the street and make this a place to visit and be proud of.
This is and should be a tourist attraction.
Fool by not paying your water tax ,would be considered protesting.
Ireland is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Moore Street is NOT beautiful.
.
Only nostalgic Dubliners would care about saving the old dump.
Stay there lads. It means the Government will not have to waste any more of our money renovating the buildings
Moore Street is a complete dump.
The place needs to be cleaned up.
The stench is appalling.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G9w12xac1VI worth a watch
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