Liz Gyekye / PackagingNews

Plastic recycling opportunities missed in Ireland

Plastic recycling facilities in Ireland are underused yet 71% of Irish plastic waste or 342,479 tonnes annually is sent to landfill.

The ‘Irish Recycled Plastic Waste Arisings Study’ is the first to look at plastics recycling and demand across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and was compiled by the rX3 agency.

The survey found that 482,366 tonnes of plastics were generated yearly. Plastics manufacturing demand stood at 465,381 tonnes.

However, while the study found that Ireland had capacity to reprocess 319,800 tonnes of plastics, in 2011 only 108,730 tonnes was recycled. Despite this underused materials supply, plastics processors are still importing waste into Ireland for reprocessing.

The survey was commissioned by the Irish Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government programme. More than 100 organisations provided information to the report between 2010 and 2011.

‘Improve waste infrastructure’

Phil Hogan, TD, minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, said the study aims to improve waste infrastructure. He added: “It also seeks to inform manufacturers and potential entrepreneurs what type and amount of plastic recyclable materials exist so that they can make informed decisions on developing new products from it.”

The study found that the main challenge to recycling more plastics was collecting them in a way that they could be processed into new products.

It suggested: targeting new waste streams such as litter bins; exploring new ways to collect plastics such as reverse vending machines; targeting plastic waste from the largely untapped construction and demolition sector; and the removal of plastic car bumpers at dismantlers.

The report also recommended making plastic products easier to recycle at end-of-life should be considered at the design stage, particularly bioplastics. It also recommended an all-island approach to developing markets for recyclate in Ireland.

‘Develop markets’

RX3 was set up by the Irish Government to create and develop markets for recyclate in Ireland. It pledged to use its funding to encourage product development with businesses in developing new products made from mixed plastics and films. It said it would also assist technological development and demo products around separation techniques.

It concluded that it must work to improve connections in the supply chain such as between MRFs, reprocessors and manufacturers; work with industry sectors to establish voluntary initiatives; work with manufacturers to increase the amount of recycled plastics used; and assist collectors and manufacturers.