Repak sees 9.1% rise in recycling tonnes in two years
Skibbereen brothers Gary and Paul O’Donovan are leaders of Repak’s Team Green initiative. Picture: Naoise Culhane
Ireland's recycling tonnes have increased by 9.1% in the last two years, according to new research by Repak.
Ireland’s not-for-profit packaging recycling scheme said the volume of tonnes recycled in the past two years has amounted to 1,314,160 - enough to completely cover the Aviva Stadium over 20 times.
Repak launched the Team Green initiative in 2018 to help Ireland increase recycling rates and meet targets set by the European Union.
Since then, the nation has recycled 269,557 tonnes of glass, 638,129 tonnes of paper and 166,440 tonnes of plastic - which includes an additional 97 million plastic bottles.
The non-profit organisation has also noted a decrease in contamination in recycling bins.
Now in its third year of the Team Green initiative, Repak is asking households to nominate ‘Team Green Leaders’ to become familiar with what items can and cannot go into the recycling bin and help demonstrate best practice recycling in their homes and communities.
Team Green leaders will join celebrity leaders Anna Geary, Paul and Gary O’Donovan, Paul Mc Grath, Roz Purcell and Bobby Kerr in leading the charge to increase packaging recycling in Ireland.
Some items are trickier than others! Join #RepakTeamGreen and we will keep you in the loop with handy recycling tips! https://t.co/CVvdSdnSRs pic.twitter.com/5Is0Pbx2fF
— Repak (@RepakRecycling) September 21, 2020
“Since we introduced our Team Green initiative two years ago, nearly 13,000 individuals have pledged to recycle correctly,” Repak CEO Séamus Clancy said.
“Change starts with each of us individually, so I urge you to play your part to look after the world around us.”
According to Repak, Ireland is one of the most successful European countries for packaging recycling.
Since 1997, Ireland has diverted 13.3 million tonnes of recyclable materials from landfill. This has led to the reduction of the country’s landfill facilities from 126 in 1997 to just 3 in 2020.
Our improved recycling rate means Ireland is on track to meet its 2025 and 2030 targets as set out by the EU.
