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Single-use plastic statistics for Ireland

EPA Circular Economy and Waste Statistics data release June 2024. Data reference year 2022.

What are single use plastics?

Single-use plastics (SUPs) are plastic products that are used once, or for a short period of time, before being disposed of. Monitoring across the EU has revealed that 10 single-use plastic items, including fishing gear, make up 70% of all marine litter on European beaches.

 

Single-use plastics Directive

The Single-use plastics Directive 2019/904 was adopted by the EU in 2019 and introduces a range of measures, controls, and targets to deal with these plastic products, including:

  • Market restrictions: The following single-use plastic products can no longer be placed on the market in Ireland: cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, balloon sticks and straws.
  • Consumption reduction: Measures will be introduced to support consumption reduction for beverage cups and food containers by 2026.
  • Extended producer responsibility: Producers of tobacco products containing plastic cannot place these products on the market in Ireland unless they are a member of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. The same applies to producers of balloons and wet wipes from 31st December 2024.
  • Separate collection: A Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been set up to help achieve the separate collection target for beverage bottles with a capacity of up to 3 litres.
  • Design obligations: By 2024 all beverage containers up to 3 litres in size must have its cap or lid attached to main part of the container. By 2025 PET bottles must contain at least 25% of recycled plastic and by 2030 all plastic beverage bottles must contain at least 30% recycled plastic.
  • Labelling obligations: From 2021, producers of wet wipes, tobacco products containing plastic, sanitary items and beverage cups must ensure there is a marking on the packaging or product which signifies there is plastic in the product.

Reporting requirements for calendar year 2022

The Single-use plastics Directive together with Implementing Decisions (EU) 2021/1752, (EU) 2022/162 and (EU) 2021/958 requires the EPA to report data annually on the following:

  • Annual placed on the market data on beverage cups and food containers made partly or wholly of plastic to demonstrate consumption reduction.
  • Weight of waste single-use beverage bottles placed on the market and weight of waste single-use beverage bottles collected with other wastes to demonstrate separate collection.
  • Fishing gear containing plastic placed on the market and waste fishing gear collected.

The first reporting period is for the calendar year 2022 and the deadline for reporting these items is by the end of June 2024.

Reporting requirements for calendar year 2023

The Single-use plastics Directive together with Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2023/2683 and (EU) 2021/2267 requires the EPA to report data annually on the following:

  • Recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles.
  • Data on the post-consumption waste from filters for tobacco products.

The first reporting period is for the calendar year 2023 and the deadline for reporting these items is by the end of June 2025.

 

Data highlights

  • 947 tonnes of cups for beverages including their covers and lids made wholly of plastic were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022.
  • 3,032 tonnes of food containers made wholly of plastic were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022.
  • 8,468 tonnes of cups for beverages including their covers and lids made partly of plastic were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022. The weight of the plastic in these products was 672 tonnes.
  • 13,559 tonnes of food containers made partly of plastic were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022. The weight of the plastic in these products was 2,444 tonnes.
  • 30,680 tonnes of single-use plastic bottles were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022.
  • 14,930 tonnes of waste single-use plastic bottles were collected with other wastes.
  • 2,618 tonnes of fishing gear were placed on the market in Ireland in 2022.
  • 692 tonnes of fishing gear were collected in Ireland in 2022.