Repak today announced that its Plastic Pledge Signatories achieved an average recycling rate of 72% in 2023.
This surpassed EU targets, paving the way for Ireland’s circular economy.
Repak announced the results during the launch of its sixth annual Plastic Pledge Report.
The report showcased the accomplishments of the signatories, who have worked to successfully reduce and eliminate plastic from their everyday operations.
It also delved into signatories’ design choices, behaviours, progress in reducing waste, and sustainable packaging solutions.
In 2023, Plastic Pledge Signatories reported an average recycling rate of 72%.
This was well above the EU Circular Economy Package targets of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030.
The submissions also showed that the signatories achieved an average recycled content of 43% across various projects.
It added that some products attained 100% recycled plastic content.
In this year’s report, Repak also spotlit four key ‘change makers’, who are leading the way in plastic waste reduction.
These change-makers are Lidl, the Culinary Food Group, Aldi and Nestlé.
‘A Beacon Of What Is Possible’
The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ossian Smyth TD, said at the launch of the report, “The Plastic Pledge Report shows that we are committed to achieving meaningful change in the realm of plastic packaging.
“The signatures [signatories] have provided us with the confidence that the challenges presented by plastic packaging can be overcome through our collective efforts.”
Repak’s chief executive, Zoë Kavanagh, added, “In 2023, Repak’s Plastic Pledge Signatories made remarkable strides towards fulfilling the ambitious goals of our Plastic Packaging Recycling Strategy 2018-2030.
“While these advancements are commendable, the road to meeting the future recycling targets for plastic packaging remains challenging.
“We call on all organisations across Ireland to embrace the exemplary practices outlined in the Plastic Pledge.
“The commitment of the signatories to recycling innovation and plastic reduction stands as a beacon of what is possible and should be used as a model for others to follow.
“If all organisations in Ireland adopted Repak’s Plastic Pledge, we would achieve our EU circular-economy targets.”
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