Ireland wants to achieve a circular economy but progress is stalling

Our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle are not enough, writes John Hearne 

Ireland generated 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Although this is a decrease on 2021 figures, the figure has grown by 20% in the last decade.

Just before Christmas, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its Circular Economy and Waste Statistics Highlights report. It found Ireland generated 15.7 million tonnes of waste in 2022. Although this is a decrease on 2021 figures, the figure has grown by 20% in the last decade. This is not very encouraging.

David Flynn is director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability at the EPA. He said the report showed Ireland’s progress towards a circular economy was stalling.

“Current measures to prevent waste, to promote reuse and to encourage recycling are not enough to meet mandatory municipal waste and plastic packaging targets. The challenge for Ireland is to reverse these trends and significantly reduce waste production and increase reuse and recycling.”

The idea of a circular economy is that we use fewer raw materials, design products for long life and recyclability, share products, use them for longer and reuse and repair products. We recycle as much material and products as possible and only dispose what cannot be recycled.

Reducing the amount of waste we produce does not mean simply trying to figure out what to do with things which have reached the end of their lives. It is more about rethinking how we consume in order to avoid producing waste in the first place.

By reducing the amount of stuff we buy and use, we decrease the resources needed for manufacture, transport and disposal. We also reduce our impact on the environment and save money by not buying stuff we don’t need.

The EPA breaks all of this down into five actions to support the circular economy and prevent waste: Rethinking, repairing, reusing, buying to last and recycling.

• Rethink: Do you really need it? We’ve become used to replacing things because we feel like it, not because they have worn out. Ask yourself if it’s possible to continue with what you have;
• Repair: Things get worn down, parts can break and the item may no longer be useful. But is a repair possible? Check repairmystuff.ie, where you can search for your local repair service on goods such as clothes, home appliances, furniture and more. If that does not return any nearby results, try a Google Maps search;
• Reuse: Is it possible to borrow or hire it? Whether we need something, or have something useful that someone else might want, there are great ways to source upcycled items, or donate things that could be used by someone else. Check out EPA partners Community Resources Network Ireland and the Rediscovery Centre to support reuse and upcycling near you;
• Buy to last: When you do have to buy new goods, think about what the product is made of. Is it over-packaged? Does it contain hazardous chemicals? Choosing products that will last for a long time or can be repaired over single-use items is an essential component of the circular economy. And when it does become worn out, see if it, or parts of it, can be recycled;
• Recycle: If we can’t repair, and if it can’t be repurposed or reused, check out www.mywaste.ie to learn whether it can be recycled and where you can bring it to be recycled.

Food waste in particular is a huge issue. Every year, Ireland generates 750,000 tonnes of food waste.

It is not just an Irish problem of course. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says 14% of the world's food (valued at €370bn per year) continues to be lost after it is harvested and before it reaches the shops. 

The UN’s Environment Programme adds a further 17% of our food ends up being wasted in retail and by consumers, particularly in households. According to FAO estimates, the food that is lost and wasted could feed 1.26 billion hungry people every year.

We usually think of food waste occurring at the end of the line, when it gets thrown in the bin. But in the circular economy, it’s all about rethinking the entire process. Preventing the problem starts at the point where we buy our groceries, and it continues at home where we store the food we have bought.

Tips to avoid food waste

Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry; you’ll buy more than you need. Before you go, take a photo of the inside of your fridge with your phone so you can remind yourself what’s there as you go around the shop. Or just go old school and use a list.

Check use-by-dates to avoid buying food that might be thrown out if not eaten immediately. Beware of special deals. These are great for toilet rolls and shampoo but bad for fruit, vegetables and salads — anything that can go off quickly.

If it’s an option for you, try shopping online for the basics. When you grocery shop online, you’re not distracted by all the other goods on the shelves.

And for vegetable waste that you do have to throw out — peelings and so on — home composting is a great way of keeping things out of your bin.

Between its introduction last February and the end of last October, more than half a billion drink containers were returned using the network of reverse vending machines across the country.

Composting is the natural process of decomposition that turns organic materials like garden waste and vegetable food scraps into a dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling material called compost. When done correctly, composting at home is an effective way of dealing with garden and unavoidable food waste, and you can use the compost to improve the soil in your vegetable garden.

As part of the Climate Action Plan, Ireland has committed to halving food waste by 2030. Reducing the amount of stuff that ends up in the wider waste stream has the added advantage of easing the costs of getting rid of it. There are plenty of ways of reducing the costs of kerbside waste collection and limiting the amount of stuff that ends up in the general waste, or in your recycling bin.

Always take your own bags to the supermarket — store them in the car so you don’t forget them — and if you’re offered a bag while out shopping, refuse it if you can. And when food shopping, try to opt for goods with little or no packaging. It also helps to buy non-perishables in bulk instead of singularly packaged smaller versions of the same product.

Reusable containers are great for storing leftovers and extending the life of food in the fridge. They also make it easier to avoid using freezer bags, cling film and tin foil. It’s always a good idea to get see-through containers so you don’t forget what you put in them.

The deposit return scheme is an essential element of the circular economy and a highly successful one at that. Between its introduction last February and the end of last October, more than half a billion drink containers were returned using the network of reverse vending machines across the country. When you return the empty to participating shops, you get your deposit back in full, and critically, you save that container from ending up in landfill.