With the introduction of the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, Ireland has the opportunity to become a leader in circularity and waste reduction – but innovation and buy-in will be needed to succeed. Michael Quille explains.
The Irish Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy outlines bold ambitions to encourage a more circular, sustainable waste management model. Ireland can be a leader in waste reduction, given our legacy as one of the first nations to ban single-use shopping bags. We need to leverage that innovative spirit to find new pathways to zero waste.
The ‘Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy’ (the Plan) outlines an ambitious roadmap for Ireland’s waste policy up to 2025. Taking a holistic view of resources, the Plan actively encourages a more circular, sustainable waste management model that will maximise the value of materials throughout a product’s life cycle, putting climate action at the core of national resource management policy. The Plan contributes to the Government’s commitment to move towards a circular economy (set out in the Programme for Government) and is complemented by several Government publications at various stages of approval.
Ireland has a real opportunity to become a leader in the EU and internationally by embedding a solid circularity ethos across society and the economy. Both the private and public sectors have gradually begun to integrate process innovations into business models which design-out harmful waste, extend product lifetimes and, in some instances, prevent waste from arising in the first place. There is a growing consensus among industry leaders and policymakers as to the economic potential of the circular economy business model. However, many companies struggle to incorporate circular thinking into their corporate strategy and day-to-day operating models due to a lack of understanding and technical capabilities.
The Plan provides Ireland with coherent and actionable objectives that look at how we consume materials and resources; how we design the products that households and businesses use; how we prevent waste generation and resource consumption; and how we extend the productive life of all goods and products in our society and economy.
Impact on households
Under the Plan, households are challenged to reduce waste, improve recycling activities, and generally embrace and expand their social responsibility efforts. To encourage engagement, a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles was signed into regulation in November 2021 and is set to become operational during 2022. Waste bin colours will also be standardised across the country, and apartment complexes will be required to segregate waste properly. Further changes are proposed to the regulation of the commercial and household waste collection market, improving consumer protection and ultimately promoting more equitable market competition. Nevertheless, many of the measures aimed at waste collectors, such as recycling targets and the levy on waste disposal, may ultimately be paid for by the consumer as pass-through charges. To smooth out the transition to a lower-waste household economy, targeted education and awareness campaigns are proposed to encourage better-informed consumption decisions and buy-in to a shared responsibility.
Impact on business
All business in Ireland will be affected by the requirements for circularity and the shift to a new macro perspective of holistic, zero-waste resource management. Indeed, the impact on some may be even more acute than our carbon ambition, demanding behavioural and mindset changes that are difficult to appreciate fully as we move from the linear make, use and dispose model to something with increased circularity.
In light of these headwinds, business leaders should embrace and implement a proactive and sustainable business approach, addressing any compliance or regulatory requirement risks associated with implementing the Plan head-on. Organisations should review their existing business models and integrate a focused circular economy strategy to help fulfil circular expectations, reduce resource dependencies, anticipate legal constraints, generate cost savings and drive business value.
Capacity to deliver
Critical to the successful implementation of the Plan will be the capacity and overall ambition of both the private and public sectors to comply with and deliver on the Government’s ambitious agenda. The culture towards waste disposal in Ireland must further regenerate and evolve, with Government ensuring that the right leadership, governance, procurements, incentives and forms of contracting are in place. The transition to a circular economy offers the real possibility of a sustainable alternative future; it is an essential step towards a decarbonised economy and will create measurable long-term value for everyone. Ireland can be a leader – we were one of the first nations to ban single-use shopping bags and move to the “bag for life” concept. We are proven innovators and adapters for waste reduction, and now we need to leverage that resilience and innovative spirit to find new pathways to zero waste.
Michael Quille is Strategy and Transactions Associate Director at EY Ireland.
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