Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy
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The key targets under the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (link will be live from 11:30) are:
Households and Businesses
- Recycling targets for waste collectors
- Standardised bin colours across the State: green for recycling, brown for organic waste and black for residual.
- Environmental levies- for waste recovery and single use coffee cups to encourage recycling and reuse
- Waste oversight body to manage consumer rights
- Education and awareness campaign to improve waste segregation
Food Waste
- Halve our food waste by 2030
- Sustainable food waste management options for all homes and businesses
- Waste segregation infrastructure for apartment dwellers
Plastic, Packaging and Single Use Plastic (SUP)
- Deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans
- Single Use Plastics ban, including cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, chopsticks, straws, polystyrene containers and oxo-degradable plastic products from July 2021.
- Commitment to ban further products such as (but not limited to) Wet wipes (non-medical); SUP hotel toiletries; SUP sugar/sauce/mayonnaise etc. items.
- Reduce number of SUPs being placed on the market by 2026
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
- Mandatory EPR for all packaging producers before 2024 EU deadline
- Producers liable for eco modulation of fees
- All packaging reusable or recyclable by 2030
Construction and Demolition Waste
- Revision of the 2006 Best Practice Guidelines for C&D waste
- Streamline by-product notification and end-of-waste decision making processes
- Working group to develop national end-of-waste applications for priority waste streams
Textiles
- Textile action group to explore options to improve future circularity in textiles
- Work with Irish designers and retailers to promote eco-design for clothing and textiles
- Consider global impacts of the international trade in used textiles
Treatment
- Review State support for development of recycling infrastructure
- Examine legislation and procedures for development of waste management infrastructure
- Standardise waste streams accepted at civic amenity sites
Enforcement
- Expanded role for WERLAs to address priority waste enforcement challenges
- Unauthorised sites action plan and anti-dumping toolkit
- Fixed penalty notices for breaches of waste law
Government Leadership on Circular Economy
- High level All of Government Circular Economy Strategy
- Take the necessary steps to include green criteria and circular economy principles in all public procurement.
- Develop Circular Economy Sectoral Roadmaps
- Explore how Ireland’s digital sector can accelerate transition to a circular economy.
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