Soft plastic can now be put in Irish recycling bins

All clean plastic packaging waste including soft plastic can now be put into Irish household recycling bins.

Minister of State for Circular Economy Ossian Smyth TD said soft plastic could be put into a household recycling bin along with « hard » plastic.

Soft plastics, such as plastic wrap and bags, have been added to the home recycling list due to technological advances in Irish recycling facilities.

“Currently in Ireland we recycle less than a third of all plastic packaging waste. We have committed to increasing our plastic packaging recycling number to 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030.

« Today’s announcement is an important step toward achieving these goals, » Minister Smith said.

Allowing soft plastic in green bins will make waste separation more straightforward for homeowners, said Pauline McDonough, a spokeswoman for MyWaste, Ireland’s official website for guidance on waste management.

She said progress has been made in technology that separates different types of materials at recycling facilities.

Recyclable plastic is sent to specialized recycling facilities or if it cannot be recycled, it will be used as fuel for cement kilns instead of fossil fuels.

Homeowners can now put all their plastic packaging waste, including soft plastic, into the recycling bin once it is clean, dry and loose.