Ireland’s New Steps Towards Greener Waste Management

Promoting Recycling with New Levies

The Irish government is taking clear steps to boost recycling and improve waste management within Ireland. Leading the charge is Ossian Smyth, the Minister of State for Communications and Circular Economy. He has introduced two new regulations with the goal to reduce waste that ends up in landfills and incineration.

Straightforward Changes to Waste Management

From 1 September 2023, two regulations will kick in: the Waste Management (Landfill Levy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and the Circular Economy (Waste Recovery Levy) Regulations 2023. Simply put, the first one adds a fee of €10 for every tonne (1,000kg) of waste produced. The second one increases an existing fee for dumping waste in landfills by €10, making it €85 per tonne.

These fees focus on the waste in ‘black’ bins. So, the more people recycle and reuse, the less they’ll feel the pinch of these fees. To give a picture, in 2020, every person in Ireland created about 372kg of household waste, and almost 40% of this went into black bins.

Speaking about the new rules, Minister Smyth said:

“The key message for households and businesses is that more recycling means lower costs. Ireland has a proven track record of successfully introducing environmental levies, with both the landfill levy and the plastic bag levy being excellent examples of how such measures can help to change how we manage our waste. The success of these measures is evident from the significant reductions in recent years of waste disposed of at landfills and the reduced use of disposable plastic bags.

“Ireland has already reduced the number of landfills from 121 in 1992, to three landfills today. We want to reduce this number even further, which is why we are introducing these levies. In doing so, I am confident that Ireland can reach the top tier of EU performance in terms of waste and the circular economy, and meet our 2025 and 2030 EU waste targets.”

Funding a More Sustainable Future

These new rules align with the greater goals of the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. One main point of the plan is to monitor how waste gets handled at local waste facilities, such as landfills and energy plants. In 2020, these places managed over 1.3 million tonnes of waste.

Money collected from the new levies will go to the Circular Economy Fund. This fund will support projects aiming to protect the environment and push for smarter waste management.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications will track the implementation of these new regulations. They want to make sure any price increases for people or businesses are fair, based on the costs of dealing with waste.

In short, these new fees are Ireland’s latest effort in committing to a cleaner future, hoping to make everyone think more about waste and push for a more sustainable way of life.

The JBX PaperPak Perspective

At JBX PaperPak, we recognise and appreciate the positive strides the Irish government is making towards sustainability. As local Irish paper straws manufacturer we’re at the forefront of environmental commitment, with all our products being 100% recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. Our ISO certification and steadfast dedication to local sourcing underscore our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

While these government initiatives are a step in the right direction, we firmly believe there’s more ground to cover. We urge our leaders to continue pushing forward the transition to a sustainable and fully circular economy. As we remain devoted to leading the charge from our end, we call upon the government to amplify their efforts, ensuring that Ireland not only meets but exceeds global environmental benchmarks.