All plastic packaging can now be recycled

Needs to be clean, dry, and loose

All plastic packaging waste - including soft plastic - can now be placed in Irish household recycling bins as long as it is clean, dry and loose.

Minister of State with special responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy, Ossian Smyth, said soft plastic can be placed in the household recycling bin along with “rigid” plastic.

“This is a significant and very positive development in Irish recycling and waste management. Soft plastics have been added to the household recycling list due to advancements in technology at Irish recycling facilities. This is welcome news as we work to reach EU recycling targets. Currently in Ireland we recycle less than a third of all plastic packaging waste. We have committed to increasing our plastic packaging recycling figure to 50 per cent by 2025 and 55 per cent by 2030. Today’s announcement is a significant step towards achieving these targets,” added Minister Smyth.

Today’s development is also part of the effort to fulfil commitments in relation to plastic packaging recycling as outlined in the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy.

Pauline McDonogh, Spokesperson for the MyWaste website for guidance on managing waste, said that the addition of soft plastic to the Irish household recycling bin makes waste segregation much more straight forward for the householder.

“Householders can now place all plastic packaging waste, including soft plastic, into the recycling bin once it is clean, dry and loose.

"Advancements have been made to the technology that segregates the different material types in recycling facilities. The recyclable plastic is sent to specialised, polymer-specific recycling facilities. If it cannot currently be recycled, it will be sent as Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) to replace fossil fuels at cement kilns.”

Repak Team Green Ambassador Roz Purcell said: “The Irish citizen can play a key role in helping Ireland increase our plastic packaging waste recycling rate and continue our journey to becoming a more sustainable society. We can make a big difference by simply ensuring that we place the plastic packaging waste that we discard – clean, dry and loose - into our household recycling bin.”

All permitted waste collection companies are now accepting soft plastic packaging waste that is placed clean, dry and loose into the recycling bin.

What are soft plastics?

A soft plastic is any type of plastic that you can scrunch in your hand. Soft plastics are now accepted in the recycling bin due to advancements in technologies at recycling facilities in Ireland. There are a wide range of soft plastics including: plastic wrap on products, plastic labels, plastic packaging pillows, bubble wrap, bread wrappers & pasta bags. You can find a full list of items that can be put in your recycling bin in our A-Z Waste Management Guide or on Repak’s ‘What can I recycle?‘ page. Please place items in your recycling bin - clean, dry and loose.

What are rigid plastics?

A rigid plastic is any type of plastic that does not lose its shape. Rigid plastics can go in your recycling bin. There are a wide range of rigid plastics you can recycle, including: plastic bottles from milk, water and beverage bottles; plastic tubs, containers and food trays; yogurt pots; soap, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles. The colour of rigid plastics does not matter. You can find a full list of items that can be put in your recycling bin in our A-Z Waste Management Guide or on Repak’s ‘What can I recycle?‘ page. Please place items in your recycling bin - clean, dry and loose.

https://www.mywaste.ie/frequently-asked-questions/