More than a quarter will just gift Irish this Christmas

With 2 million more parcels posted a week in comparison to this time last year, Repak said they expect Ireland to generate somewhere in the region of 81,174 tonnes of packaging waste this Christmas, a 7% increase on 2019.

New research by environmental not-for-profit organisation Repak suggests more than a quarter of consumers (28%) will only buy presents from Irish retailers this Christmas.

A third of Irish shoppers also plan to spend more on Christmas presents this year, even though 34% won’t get the opportunity to give gifts to loved ones in person.

With 2 million more parcels posted a week in comparison to this time last year, Repak said they expect Ireland to generate somewhere in the region of 81,174 tonnes of packaging waste this Christmas, a 7% increase on 2019.

In anticipation of the increased levels of packaging waste that households will generate this Christmas, Repak says many waste operators have advised that they will accept additional recyclables this Christmas if your recycling bin is full. Just leave materials beside the bin in clear waste bags.

“Christmas is the busiest time of year for waste collectors across Ireland and I commend them for encouraging households to recycle more by accepting extra bags of recyclables if their recycling bins are full over the festive season,” Repak CEO Séamus Clancy said.

Last month, Repak revealed packaging waste generated from online shopping in Ireland is up 25% this year, representing an increase of 2,953 tonnes or the equivalent of 15 million standard-sized parcels.