Saturday, 04 October 2025
The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) Ireland has called for a €3.5 million government investment to deliver carton recycling at scale across Ireland. The recommendation was published in its recent report, Getting Recycling Sorted, which outlines the steps needed to improve Ireland’s recycling infrastructure to meet both national and EU targets. Beverage […]
The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) Ireland has called for a €3.5 million government investment to deliver carton recycling at scale across Ireland. The recommendation was published in its recent report, Getting Recycling Sorted, which outlines the steps needed to improve Ireland’s recycling infrastructure to meet both national and EU targets.
Food and beverage cartons, commonly used in Irish households, are made from renewable materials and are fully recyclable when processed correctly. According to ACE Ireland, increasing the recycling of these cartons would bring environmental benefits and contribute to Ireland’s transition to a circular economy.
However, current recycling systems in Ireland face challenges that limit the full recovery of cartons placed on the market.
Ireland’s recycling efforts are not occurring in a vacuum. Under the EU Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, member states are required to recycle at least 55% of all packaging waste by 2025, with targets increasing to 65% by 2035.
The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (part of the European Green Deal) also places pressure on member states to reduce waste, improve product design, and foster sustainable material cycles. ACE Ireland’s recommendations align with these EU-wide goals by encouraging targeted investment in materials like beverage cartons, which are currently under-recycled.
ACE Ireland is urging the government to invest €3.5 million in upgrading sorting technology at materials recovery facilities (MRFs) across the country. These improvements would enable the effective separation of beverage cartons, allowing them to be sent to dedicated carton recycling facilities.
The report emphasises that without significant upgrades to sorting infrastructure, Ireland risks falling short of new EU and national recycling targets. This is particularly urgent in light of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which has reduced the volume of recyclable materials entering MRFs, making it even more important to recover other packaging types, including cartons.
€3.5M for MRF upgrades: Invest in modern sorting systems to ensure beverage cartons are captured and properly recycled.
Better recycling data: Mandate annual, material-specific recycling data reporting to improve transparency and track progress.
Policy recognition: Include beverage cartons as a priority packaging stream in national circular economy strategies and public awareness campaigns like MyWaste.ie.
Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) are essential components in modern recycling systems. These facilities sort mixed recyclables into separate material streams, such as paper, plastics, metals, and glass. However, many Irish MRFs currently lack the technology to effectively sort composite materials like beverage cartons, which often combine paperboard with thin layers of plastic or aluminium.
Upgrading MRFs to identify and sort cartons efficiently is not only necessary for improving carton recycling but also contributes to the better separation of other complex packaging types. In doing so, MRF upgrades could create a ripple effect, enhancing the overall efficiency and quality of Ireland’s recycling output.
While the Irish Government’s Programme for Government (from January 2025) includes a general commitment to improving MRF sorting technology, ACE Ireland stresses that concrete action is still needed.
Ben Powell, Head of External Affairs at ACE Ireland, warned that “Ireland will miss EU mandated recycling targets without urgent investment in sorting infrastructure.” He noted that the proposed investment would benefit the government, industry, and consumers by improving recycling performance across the board.
ACE Ireland’s proposal for a €3.5 million investment represents a targeted solution to a specific gap in Ireland’s recycling system. By upgrading sorting infrastructure, Ireland can significantly improve beverage carton recycling, meet EU obligations, and reduce its environmental footprint.
As Mandy Kelly, Chief Executive of ACE Ireland, noted: “The more cartons we fully recycle at scale, the bigger the benefit for consumers, the environment and the wider packaging industry.”
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