Mayo minister launches public consultation on Ireland’s second circular economy strategy
THE Minister for State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon, has launched a public consultation on Ireland’s Second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy.
Launching the public consultation at the Environmental Protection Agency Circular Economy Conference, Minister Dillon said: “Ireland is at a turning point. The circular economy is not just an environmental ambition, it is an economic and social opportunity. By rethinking how we design, use, and reuse materials, we can cut waste, protect resources, and create new jobs and businesses.”
He continued: “Our economic growth has brought new demands, from housing and infrastructure to food and manufactured goods. To meet our EU targets, Ireland must significantly increase the amount of waste we recycle each year. That is why we have introduced major reforms such as the Deposit Return Scheme, expanded brown bin access, and new measures to make packaging easier to recycle. These changes are already making a difference, and this strategy will build on that momentum.”
The core objectives of the strategy include the following: Raising Ireland’s circular material use rate (CMUR) by at least 2 percentage points each year; driving innovation, competitiveness and job creation by positioning Ireland as a European leader in circular business models and green technologies; decoupling economic growth from resource use; ensuring that circularity is a product design principle; empowering citizens to make the transition to a more circular lifestyle.
A range of actions and associated targets across key sectors and cross-cutting priority areas are proposed in the strategy.
These include: measures to promote the reuse and repair of products; resource-efficient building practices; design innovation for packaging formats; an extended producer responsibility scheme for textiles; increased grant allocations to support innovation in Ireland’s circular economy; development of an interconnected network of circular economy hubs; a national communications and awareness platform, and the establishment of a national centre of excellence for the circular economy.
Highlighting the new strategy, Minister Dillon continued: “The circular economy strategy sets out how we will raise our circular material use rates and make circularity a design principle for products and services. It is about turning waste into value and giving communities and businesses the tools to lead.”
He outlined the actions being taken, saying: “The strategy includes a comprehensive programme of actions, from promoting the reuse and repair of products, supporting resource-efficient building practices, and driving packaging design innovation, to introducing extended producer responsibility for textiles, expanding grants to support circular innovation, developing a national network of circular economy hubs, establishing a national centre of excellence, and launching a nationwide communications and awareness campaign.
“This consultation is your chance to shape Ireland’s circular future. We want ideas, insights, practical examples, and solutions from businesses, communities, and individuals.”
The consultation will be open for six weeks, ending on November 5.
Further information is available here.