“Plastic pledge” set to avoid 10,000 tonnes of waste
Richard Bruton T.D. has welcomed the success of the Repak ‘Plastic Pledge’ initiative, which will see over 10,000 tonnes of plastic packaging diverted from waste by the end of 2019. The news is part of Repak’s first progress report on its ‘Plastic Pledge’.
Print14 May 2019
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D., has welcomed the success of the Repak ‘Plastic Pledge’ initiative, which will see over 10,600 tonnes of plastic packaging diverted from waste by the end of 2019.
The news is part of Repak’s first progress report on its ‘Plastic Pledge’. The report says work is required for the coming years to reach plastic recycling targets of 55% by 2030.
The initiatives undertaken to reduce plastic include reducing plastic bottle weights, removing non-detectable black plastic trays from fruit and vegetable product lines, moving from non-recyclable to compostable packaging and innovative design modifications to make packaging more sustainable.
Launching Repak’s Plastic Pledge Report, Minister Bruton TD said we must encourage industry to put sustainability at the heart of their business. “This report shows the impact companies can have by taking the lead,” said Bruton. “I’m developing an all-encompassing government plan to step up Ireland’s response to climate change. Industry leadership will be important to achieving our objectives. I encourage more companies to follow the example set out by those early movers who have already signed up to the Repak Plastics Pledge.”
Repak’s Plastic Pledge ask signatories to:
- Prioritise the prevention of plastic packaging waste by minimising avoidable use packaging and promoting packaging reuse where possible.
- Support Ireland to deliver the Circular Economy Package plastic recycling targets of 50% of all plastics by 2025 and 55% of all plastic packaging by 2030, as set by the European Commission.
- Reduce complexity within the plastic packaging supply chain by simplifying polymer usage and eliminating non-recyclable components in all plastic packaging by 2030.
- Help to build a circular economy for used plastic packaging in Ireland and Europe by increasing the use of plastic packaging with a recycled content.
- Ensure our approach to plastic packaging reduction is aligned to Ireland ‘s goal of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030 as set out in Ireland’s food waste charter.
Speaking on the success of the inaugural year for Repak’s Plastic Pledge, Repak CEO Seamus Clancy said that how we use and dispose of plastic has become one of the environmental challenges of our time. “The tangible results from this report clearly show that societal concerns on how we use plastic and the effects it can have on our environment are sparking positive change in the mind-set of businesses in Ireland,” he said.
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