The Circular Economy and Other Emissions

The Circular Economy and Other Emissions

Introduction

Our current linear production and consumption model (based on produce, use and dispose) is significantly carbon and resource intensive. We need to move to a more sustainable production and consumption model by changing how we consume materials and resources; how we design the products that households and businesses use and how we extend the productive life of all goods and products in our society and economy.

With a circularity rate of 1.8%, Ireland lags well behind the EU average of 12.8%. Improving this rate will yield savings not only in tonnes of materials wasted, but also in carbon emitted. The Whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy provides an overall national policy framework for the circular transition to significantly improve Ireland’s circularity performance above the EU average by 2030. These measures will make provision for Circular Economy Sectoral Roadmaps which will, in turn, develop targets in sectors where increasing circularity will have a significant impact, such as construction, transport, agri-food and consumer goods, and sustainable product innovation.

The ‘Other Emissions’ accounted for in this section include F-Gases, Waste and Petroleum refinement. These sources accounted for 2.8% of Ireland’s GHG emissions in 2021, down from 3% in 2020. Waste is the largest of the three emission sources in the sector, accounting for 1.4% of Ireland’s GHG emissions in 2021, down from 1.5% in 2020. The Actions to reduce emissions from these activities include implementing and monitoring F-gas regulations, rapidly increasing the levels of recycling of materials and overall reducing waste sent to landfill and improving process efficiencies of petroleum refining.

Circular Economy and Other Emissions targets set in Climate Action Plan 2023

Landfill Reliance Target:

• Limit diversion of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill to maximum limit of 427k tonnes ; and
• Reduce diversion of municipal waste to 10% by 2035.

Recycling:

• Recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035;
• Recycle 70% of packaging waste by 2030;
• Recycle 55% of plastic packaging waste by 2030; and
• Separate collection obligations extended to include hazardous household waste (by end 2024), bio-waste (by end 2023), and textiles (by end 2024).

Food Waste:

• Reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

Plastic Single-Use Items:

• Provide for 90% collection of plastic drinks containers by 2029;
• Achieve the waste reduction targets through prescribed measures no later than 2026;
• Ensure all plastic packaging is reusable or recyclable by 2030.

Reduce Emissions from Petroleum Refining

• Encourage the use of renewables in the petroleum refining process
• Investigate applicability of use of biomethane in the petroleum refining process.
• Reduce use of petroleum-based fuel