Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Ireland’s Waste Action Plan: Circular Economy & Waste Reduction Goals Ireland is embarking on a major transformation in how it handles waste. The national strategy, the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, charts a pathway away from simply disposing of waste towards a resource‑efficient, circular economy model. This article outlines the Plan’s purpose, key measures […]
Ireland is embarking on a major transformation in how it handles waste. The national strategy, the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, charts a pathway away from simply disposing of waste towards a resource‑efficient, circular economy model. This article outlines the Plan’s purpose, key measures and what it will mean for households, business and government.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy was published in September 2020 by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, covering the period 2020‑2025. It responds to evolving national and EU waste and resource‑policy contexts and replaces the earlier policy,
The Plan commits to embedding climate action across waste and resource policy: moving from “take‑make‑dispose” to keeping materials in productive use as long as possible.
The Plan recognises that our current linear resource‑use model is unsustainable in terms of resource extraction, waste generation, greenhouse‑gas emissions and biodiversity loss. By adopting circular economy approaches, Ireland aims to reduce waste, conserve resources, open up new business opportunities and bolster resilience to resource‑price fluctuations.
A circular economy model focuses on designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Where the traditional linear model is “take‑make‑dispose”, circularity emphasises reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacture and recycling.
Benefits of this approach include:
Environmental protection: less resource extraction, fewer emissions, less waste to landfill.
Economic opportunity: innovation in product design and business models, new jobs in reuse/repair/recycling.
Resource resilience: less reliance on virgin materials, better adaptability to supply shocks.
The Plan emphasises that circular economy is not only an environmental imperative, but a key vehicle for sustainable economic growth.
The Plan sets out over 200 individual measures across a broad range of waste and resource‑streams. Below are some of the major strands.
A shift away from waste disposal towards prevention and keeping products/materials in use longer.
Encouraging businesses to adopt circular practices (eco‑design, repairability, reuse) and reducing reliance on single‑use items.
Consumer‑facing initiatives: awareness campaigns, recycling‑right education and promotion of sustainable consumption choices.
Standardised bin colours across the State: green for recycling, brown for organic waste, black for residual waste.
Review and enhancement of recycling infrastructure (collection, civic amenity sites, treatment capacity) to support circularity.
Improved treatment capacity, by‑product and end‑of‑waste decision frameworks to divert materials into reuse streams.
Food waste: Seek to halve food waste by 2030 and provide sustainable food waste management options for all homes and businesses.
Plastics and packaging / Single‑Use Plastics (SUPs):
Introduce a deposit & return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans.
Ban certain single‑use plastic products (from July 2021: e.g., cotton‑bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, chopsticks, straws, polystyrene containers, oxo‑degradable plastics).
Commit to all packaging being reusable or recyclable by 2030.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Mandatory EPR for all packaging producers by the 2024 EU deadline; producers become responsible for eco‑modulation of fees.
Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste: Revise Best Practice Guidelines (2006), streamline by‑product and end‑of‑waste decision making, establish working groups for priority waste streams.
Textiles: Establish a textile action group, work with designers/retailers on eco‑design, consider global impacts of trade in used textiles.
Government leadership (Green Public Procurement etc.): The Plan mandates that green and circular‑economy criteria be embedded in all public procurement and that sectoral circular economy roadmaps be developed.
The Plan is underpinned by regulatory change including the EU Circular Economy legislative package, the Single‑Use Plastics Directive, and new national legislation (e.g., the Waste Management (Circular Economy) Bill).
A waste recovery levy, levies on single‑use coffee cups and other environmental levies form part of the incentive/penalty framework.
Enhanced enforcement: Fixed penalty notices for breaches of waste law; expanded role for local waste enforcement authorities (WERLAs) to tackle illegal dumping and unauthorised sites.
The Plan emphasises the role of households, businesses, communities and civil society in achieving the circular economy.
Awareness campaigns, citizen education, support for local initiatives (e.g., community composting, reuse networks) are part of the delivery.
The Plan also emphasises consumer protection measures (oversight body for rights) and standardised systems (bins, collection) to make participation easier.
Behavioural change: Ensuring households, businesses and local authorities adopt new practices (correct segregation, reuse, repair) will require sustained education, incentives and infrastructure.
Infrastructure and financing: Investment is required in collection, treatment, recycling and reuse facilities, especially outside major urban centres.
Regulatory and enforcement capacity: Ensuring illegal waste activities are tackled, by‑product/end‑of‑waste frameworks are operational, and new EPR schemes are effectively regulated.
Aligning timing and capacity: Many targets (2030 or later) demand long‑term commitment; interim progress will be important to monitor.
The Plan sets a long‑term vision for Ireland to become a leader in circular economy practice by mid‑decade and beyond. Specific milestone targets include:
By 2030: Halve food waste; ensure all packaging is reusable or recyclable; introduce deposit & return schemes; ban specified single‑use plastics; implement EPR for packaging.
By 2035: Landfill of municipal waste reduced to 10% or less.
Embedding circular economy principles across all government policy, procurement and business models. – The Plan emphasises this “all‑of‑government” approach.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy represents a bold and comprehensive roadmap for Ireland’s transition to a resource‑efficient, circular economy. It moves beyond traditional waste disposal policies to address product life‑cycles, materials reuse, infrastructure, business responsibility and citizen engagement. Success will depend on collective action, from national government, local authorities, businesses, households and communities, and on delivering the infrastructure, regulation and culture change needed to meet the ambitious targets set out.
With proper implementation, Ireland can both reduce environmental pressures and capture economic opportunities through the circular economy.