Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

113. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the changes that will be made to the terms of Repak’s new licence to operate as an approved body for packaging waste recovery, following the EPA statement in September that it was “almost certain” that Ireland will miss mandatory recycling targets in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60474/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Repak operates as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme for packaging in Ireland under a Ministerial approval that expires at the end of 2025. An application for renewal of that approval has been received and is under consideration within the Department.

The challenges that Ireland faces in relation to packaging recycling targets for 2025, highlighted by the Environmental Protection Agency in September, are driven largely by difficulties with plastic packaging waste. Ireland is not alone in facing difficulties in this area, with the European Environment Agency warning in 2023 that 19 Member States including Ireland were in danger of missing the 2025 plastic packaging recycling target.

In recognition of the failure of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive to curb the growth of packaging waste in general, and plastic packaging waste in particular, a new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been introduced, to apply from August next year.

Rather than increasing targets which Member States are already struggling to meet, the PPWR focusses on harmonised enabling measures, including:

• Mandatory recycled content percentages in packaging;
• Design for recycling criteria;
• Reuse and refill targets and requirements;
• Packaging minimisation requirements;
• Restrictions on certain packaging formats;
• Harmonised labelling across the EU, with corresponding labels on bins to make it easier for consumers to segregate appropriately;
• Increased, and harmonised, reporting formats;
• Criteria for high quality recycling and recycled at scale; and
• Obligations on packaging producers and others placing packaging on the market in relation to conformity and information to establish conformity.