Circular Economy

Government policy is moving towards achieving a 'circular economy', where resources are re-used or recycled as much as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised. The circular economy is an alternative to today’s ‘take-make-waste’ economy where great quantities of natural resources are extracted to make things that may be used only once before being thrown away.

The circular economy is not a brand-new idea, in fact many circular activities are already commonplace. Things like using a reusable cup for a coffee on the go, donating to a charity shop, or having a pair of shoes repaired instead of throwing them away are all simple examples of extending a product’s lifespan through re-use and repair.

However, achieving the full benefits of the circular economy requires more than action at the individual level, it requires the right mix of government policy and regulation, new business models and new systems of production.

A more circular economy can deliver environmental, economic and social benefits, such as reduced plastic pollution, new sustainable jobs, and better quality, longer lasting, consumer products.

Adopting circular principles across the whole economy would mean that waste and resource use could be minimised by default, that good design could provide consumers with durable and repairable products, and that the valuable raw materials in products that have reached the end of their life could be easily reclaimed and re-used.

To achieve this outcome, there needs to be a joined-up approach to the circular economy across government.

This is why we have published Ireland’s first Whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy. The Strategy aims to explain what the circular economy is, why Ireland needs to achieve a circular economy and how national policy will develop to support that goal. The Strategy will be regularly updated to include circularity actions and targets across the whole economy.

Read more about the Circular Economy Strategy.

The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 became law in July 2022.

This landmark legislation defines the Circular Economy for the first time in Irish domestic law and provides a legal basis for many of the actions that the government will take to support the circular transition.

Key measures in the Act include:

• incentivising the use of reusable and recyclable alternatives to a range of wasteful single-use disposable packaging and other items
• re-designating Ireland’s existing Environment Fund as a Circular Economy Fund, which will remain ring-fenced to provide support for environmental initiatives and more funding circular economy projects
• requiring mandatory segregation and incentivised charging for commercial waste, similarly to the system that already exists for the household market
• improving our national regulatory processes, to encourage the safe and sustainable re-use of materials instead of treating them as wastes

Circular Economy Innovation Grants Scheme (CEIGS)

Many communities, social enterprises and businesses across the country are already putting the circular economy into practice or are interested in doing so.

To help communities and businesses make the transition to a circular economy, in 2021 the government launched a new Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS). The Scheme provides annual funding for innovative medium-to-large scale projects which can support development of the circular economy at the national or regional level. Projects supported by the Scheme are making an impact in their local communities and developing the products and services that will help make the circular economy a reality.

The Scheme is particularly aimed at, though not limited to, community, voluntary and NGO led initiatives.

Read more about the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) and how to apply for funding.

The Rediscovery Centre is a national centre for circular economy activity in Ireland that supports re-use of materials, shares circular skills and provides information on circular economy developments here in Ireland and abroad. The Centre receives funding from a range of public bodies.

Other sources of funding for circular economy funding include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Enterprise Scheme.

Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact.

The public sector is a significant buyer of products and services and, by including environmental criteria in its procurement policies, the sector can support demand for circular products and services while still achieving value for money.

The national GPP policy 'Green Tenders - an Action Plan on Green Public Procurement' is being updated and the revised version will be published in 2023.

Read more about our Green Public Procurement policies.

The Item was unpublished or removed involves the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bio-energy. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, pulp and paper production, as well as parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries. Its sectors have a strong innovation potential to support Ireland's transition to a more integrated sustainable, low carbon economy.

The government's Item was unpublished or removed called for an assessment of the potential of Ireland's bioeconomy to further contribute to economic development and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Project Ireland 2040 highlights the potential of the bioeconomy in promoting the more efficient use of renewable resources while supporting economic development and employment in rural Ireland. In 2018, as part of Project Ireland 2040, the government published the first National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy. This commitment recognises that the bioeconomy is crucial for sustainability while also providing an impetus to rural and regional development and employment.

Bioeconomy Implementation Group

The government established an implementation group, jointly chaired by the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) and the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). The group addresses a number of major actions, in close collaboration with bioeconomy industries and other partners, and reports back to government. The Bioeconomy Implementation Group's First Progress Report to Government was published in 2019.

Textiles are the fabric of everyday life in clothes and furniture, medical and protective equipment, buildings and vehicles .However, urgent action is needed as their impact on the environment continues to grow. Policy developments at EU level such as the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles (2022) aim to respond to textiles production, consumption and post consumption and have greatly influenced national policy trends. At a national level, textiles is a key priority area for action to realise the Government’s circular economy ambitions and Irish policy developments are centred around the National Circular Economy Strategy and the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020-2025.

Textiles Advisory Group

In 2022, the Department established a Textile Advisory Group as a sub-Group of the Waste Advisory Group. This Group will identify key opportunities for Government to promote, facilitate and enable circularity in the textiles’ ecosystem and examine the way in which textiles are designed, produced, used and discarded, moving away from a linear economy to a sustainable and circular textile industry.

Read more about the Textiles Advisory Group