Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his proposals to increase the amount of PET plastic recycled in Ireland. [48879/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In 2023, the most recent year for which EPA statistics are available, Ireland recycled 30% of plastic packaging waste. This exceeds the target of 22.5% but stricter targets of 50% and 55%, for 2025 and 2030 respectively will be more challenging. These figures are in respect of all plastics including PET. The EU list of waste codes does not isolate individual polymers.

Given the volume and grade of material collected through our waste collection system, this is mostly recycled abroad for reasons of economic viability. Measures are underway, however, which will help boost recycling rates for plastics, including PET, and make recycling on the island a more attractive proposition for investors.

Most notably, these measures include our national Deposit and Return Scheme. For the first time, a separate and high quality stream of PET is now available for recycling. Together with the requirement under the Single Use Plastics Directive for incorporating 25% of recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles from 2025, rising to 30% from 2030, the case for recycling investment here has never been stronger.

In keeping with the polluter pays principle, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes have a key role in meeting national collection and recycling targets and also in supporting investment to ensure that as much as possible can be recycled and recovered domestically.