Urgent action needed as recycling rates drop

'Ireland’s recycling rates for municipal and packaging waste have been in gradual decline for a number years, as efforts to improve recycling have been outstripped by the growth in waste being generated and the amount being sent for energy recovery,' the Environmental Protection Agency said

Urgent action is needed to reverse worrying trends that have seen recycling rates drop while waste generation has risen, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The body said the gap is widening between recycling and waste produced in Ireland, despite EU targets in the next four years that aim to close the gap.