If we want Ireland to become more green without making big sacrifices in our quality of life, we need to become less wasteful. When materials are extracted from the earth, it needs to be with the intention of using that material many times over. It's called circular living, and Ireland has big ambitions to build a robust and circular economy in the years ahead. This page tells you all you need to know.
Circular living and circular economics are new ways of imagining how human beings can extract maximum benefit from the resources we use while having minimum impact on the environment.
Since the Industrial Revolution, most societies have followed a linear system of production, consumption, and disposal — commonly known as the "take, make, dispose" model. In this system, raw materials are extracted from the earth, transformed into products that serve a purpose for a limited time, and then discarded. This process often results in waste that accumulates in landfills, contributing to environmental degradation and the depletion of finite resources.
From mobile phones to washing machines, milk cartons to carrier bags — each new product leaves a trail of used, discarded goods that no longer serve a purpose, undermining long-term sustainability.
In contrast, circular systems aim to rethink this linear process entirely. Rather than disposing of products after their use, circular living focuses on regenerating resources by designing products that can be easily repaired, disassembled, and reused. Materials are either biodegradable, returning safely to the earth, or are designed to be recycled and maintained without losing their quality.
This creates a continuous loop where waste becomes a resource, reducing environmental impact while promoting sustainable growth. By adopting circular systems, society can shift from a throwaway culture to one that builds long-term prosperity and fosters innovation in everything from manufacturing to energy use.
Circular living refers to the individual and community-level lifestyle choices and behaviours that prioritise sustainability and reducing waste. It encompasses daily practices like reusing, repairing, upcycling, and minimising consumption. Circular living focuses on adopting habits that align with nature's cyclical processes, such as composting organic waste or choosing products designed for longevity and repairability.
In contrast to circular living, circular economics deals with the broader systemic shift in how industries, businesses, and entire economies operate. It emphasises designing products and systems that minimise waste and regenerate resources. This includes practices like creating products that can be easily disassembled and recycled, developing closed-loop supply chains, and shifting from ownership models to service-based systems (e.g., leasing instead of buying).
Right now, advanced economies like Ireland's are far from circular. As the chart below shows, the vast majority of EU materials are still extracted from the earth (known as "primary raw materials"). Only 11.5% of EU materials are recycled. As we will see later, in the specific case of Ireland, this figure is actually just 1.8%.
So, as things stand, advanced economies like Ireland have a long way to go in reducing the amount of materials they extract from the earth. Even now, less than half of EU waste is recycled at all (source ).
The circular economy, and the circular living habits that contribute to it, are focused around seven key groups of materials. These materials are found in everyday products and industries, but how they are sourced, used, and disposed of varies greatly between traditional linear systems and circular models.
Packaging, especially single-use items, is one of the largest contributors to waste. Circular practices aim to design packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, reducing the environmental impact of what we consume daily.
Plastics pose a major challenge due to their durability and widespread use. In a circular economy, plastics would be designed for longevity, with systems in place to ensure they are continuously recycled and repurposed without losing their material integrity.
The fashion industry is a significant source of waste, particularly through fast fashion. Circular living encourages the repair, reuse, and recycling of textiles, creating systems where clothing and fabric materials are kept in circulation as long as possible.
Waste in food production and consumption can be reduced by composting organic materials and returning nutrients to the soil. Circular living also involves using water responsibly, ensuring it is conserved and reused wherever possible in agriculture and households. (Check out our food waste guide here...)
Used cooking oils can now be processed to create hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) diesel. This is a double win. First, the cooking oil now has a second life and is no longer wasted. But perhaps more importantly, it reduces the carbon footprint of the vehicles is powers. Here's how.
Because fossil fuels are dug from underground, they necessarily introduce new carbon into the system (carbon that was buried deep in underground is pumped into the atmosphere). By contrast, cooking oils are generated from crops on the earth's surface. These crops take their carbon from the atmosphere (not from underground) so they do not add any new carbon into the system. It's cyclical.
Of course, it's still important that we reduce our consumption and move toward more sustainable modes of transport, journey sharing etc. But HVO diesel is still a big double win for the environment: less oil being wasted, less fossil fuel being burned, meaning less new carbon being added to the atmosphere.
The construction sector consumes large amounts of raw materials. In a circular economy, buildings are designed to be energy-efficient, made from sustainable materials, and constructed in ways that allow for easy disassembly and reuse of components.
Electronics are often discarded after short use, creating e-waste. Circular approaches seek to extend the lifespan of devices through repair, refurbishment, and recycling, while ensuring valuable metals and components are recovered and reused.
The shift to electric vehicles and renewable energy storage requires a focus on sustainable battery design. In the circular economy, batteries and vehicles are made from materials that can be efficiently recycled and reintroduced into the supply chain, reducing the reliance on new raw materials.
In its Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023, the Irish government has set out its aim "to reduce Ireland's circularity gap, in both absolute terms and in comparison, with other EU Member States, so that Ireland's rate is above the EU average by 2030".
Let's unpack this a bit. The Irish government wants Ireland to become better than the EU average at using recycled and repurposed materials. Perhaps allowing themselves a some wiggle room, officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications don't specify whether they're holding themselves to a mean or a median average (the latter being an easier target). Since the EU publishes mean average data, we will assume that this is the standard Ireland needs to meet.
This is a hugely ambitious target – not least because Ireland is starting from a very low baseline. The below chart shows Ireland's Circular Material Use Rate (CMUR) relative to the other EU member states it is trying to catch up with. In simple terms, CMUR measures the proportion of the materials we use from recycling or reusing, instead of using new resources.
Based on the most recent data available, Ireland currently ranks 25th out of 27 states for use of recycled and repurposed materials. What's more, all of those states have targets of their own. So Ireland is effectively trying to catch a moving target. In its own words, the strategy document acknowledges that "this will be very challenging given Ireland's starting position and the fact that other Member States will also be seeking to improve their performances."
So what is Ireland's rate of improvement so far?
Well, in one sense, it's too early to tell. We have historical data from 2015, but we don't have any new data since the strategy document was published. However, as the graph below shows, recent years have seen a steady improvement in CMUR across the EU27 while Ireland has only flatlined.
To meet its 2030 target of being above average in the EU for circular material usage, Ireland will need to massively ramp up its efforts to prioritise recycled and repurposed materials. Unfortunately, as we will see below, there is little evidence that this uptick is coming.
Although the numbers may paint a bleak picture, it's not all bad when it comes to circular living and circular economics in Ireland.
FoodCloud is a social enterprise that bridges the gap between businesses with surplus food and charities in need. By reducing food waste, FoodCloud plays a key role in Ireland's circular economy, diverting large amounts of food from landfill while supporting communities. Since its establishment, it has helped reallocate millions of meals.
Thriftify is an online marketplace where charity shops in Ireland sell donated goods. Thriftify supports second-hand shopping, reduces waste, and promotes sustainable consumer habits, allowing charities to raise funds while facilitating the reuse of clothing and goods.
An Mheitheal Rothar provides a bicycle repair service. ReCycle Your Cycle's aim is to salvage bicycles from Galway City Council's Civic Amenity Site, repair them and provide opportunities to learn valuable mechanic skills. This reduces pollution and carbon emissions while offering skilled jobs, training opportunities, and promoting cycling as an affordable, fossil-fuel-free transport option.
IRD Duhallow Furniture Revamp restores furniture using more than 95% recycled materials. This initiative encourages the reuse of fabric, paints, and varnishes, providing affordable furniture while promoting sustainability.
Wisetek, a leader in IT asset disposition, extends the lifespan of IT equipment by refurbishing or recycling up to 250,000 pieces annually. Their circular process reduces greenhouse gas emissions and recovers valuable metals, contributing to environmental sustainability.
The Rediscovery Centre supports circular economy businesses in Ireland by providing advice on business planning and training. Its academy has helped over 12 enterprises implement reuse initiatives in sectors like textiles and retail.
3D Assist TU Dublin Tallaght is an informal group that 3D prints prosthetic arms and hands for those in need across Ireland and the UK. Since 2015, they have manufactured over 30 prosthetics and expanded their range to include wheelchair accessories.
Biowave Technologies system converts agricultural and food waste into renewable biogas. By diverting waste from disposal, the company reduces transport CO2 emissions and contributes to Ireland's renewable energy targets.
Ireland wants to "move beyond simple target compliance" and become a leading player in circular living and circular economics (source ). For this to be more than just words, bold action will be necessary.
Here's a look at what Ireland is doing to close the circularity gap.
The National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy (2024-2030) sets out 8 specific targets for reuse, repair, resource consumption, and reducing contamination levels in Ireland. These include a 6% reduction in Residual Municipal Waste, a 12% reduction in Construction and Demolition Waste, and a total of 20kg of reused materials like clothes or furniture (per person, per year) by 2030.
Support for circular economy initiatives will be scaled up through direct government funding, such as the Circular Economy Innovation Grants Scheme, which will reach €1 million per year, by 2027.
Mandatory green criteria are now being integrated into all public procurement decisions. The Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027 was launched in April 2024, replacing the previous "Green Tenders" policy. This new strategy aims to align public procurement with Ireland's efforts to transition to a more circular economy. It targets key sectors, including construction, food, ICT equipment, textiles, and transportation, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through more sustainable purchasing practices.
The Irish government has conceded that it needs to pull harder on the levers of government if its 2030 targets for CMUR are to be met. Describing the limitations of the 2022-23 strategy document, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications warns that "subsequent iterations of the strategy will include more detailed measures and sectoral roadmaps for priority areas such as construction, consumer goods, transport, procurement, agriculture and food. Measures, including targets for these sectors, will be developed in consultation with stakeholders across public and private sectors, as well as environmental, community and social enterprise representatives" (source ).
The 2022-23 strategy document set out plans to amend legislation related to "end-of-waste" and by-products, to remove barriers to circular economy development. With The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022, these plans were put into action. The Act streamlines the procedures for determining when materials cease to be classified as waste, making it easier for businesses to reuse materials. Similarly, it simplifies the classification of by-products, enabling industries to reuse production materials more efficiently in other sectors. While it's still relatively early days, the hope is that these changes will reduce regulatory delays and encourage more innovative recycling and resource recovery practices.
There is some promise in all of the above. But, beyond these, Ireland's plans to close the circularity read more like aspirations than policies. Government documents and briefings mention plans to raise public awareness, increase private sector engagement and harness the power of Ireland's bioeconomy. But, few numbers, if any, are attached to these aspirations.
If Ireland wants to meet its 2030 target of being above average in the EU for circular material usage, it needs to ramp up its efforts to prioritise recycled materials drastically.
Here are some places where you can find more about circular living and circular economics in Ireland.
This is a free resource commissioned and funded by PureVolt Solar Ireland. The Eco Hub has been developed by our green energy experts in collaboration with the engineers, scientists, and data specialists from our sister company SquareFish .
On pages like this one, we try to share our passion and motivations for a greener Ireland by presenting clear, factual information without getting on a soapbox. We hope this page is useful for you. Please get in touch to let us know if we can make it better :)
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