A new report from Repak shows that packaging waste from online retailers will grow by 34% this year.
According to the recycling company, Ireland is generating over 10,000 tonnes of packaging waste from online shopping per year, up from 7,500 tonnes in 2017.
It is calling for more online retailers to pay towards the recycling of their packaging.
Repak says Irish shoppers import 27 tonnes of packaging per-day from online retailers such as eBay, AliExpress and Boohoo.
With the exception of Amazon, Repak says online companies are not paying towards the bill of over €500,000 per year for collecting and recycling this packaging, a cost currently being borne by its members.
Thirty-three million different consumer goods were purchased online this year with clothes and electronics the most popular items.
Repak is calling on the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to set up an online retail forum to address the problem.
Repak CEO Seamus Clancy accused online retailers of "dumping ten thousand tonnes" of their packaging on the Irish market, with no responsibility for its collection and recycling.
He said retailers in Ireland, who are members of Repak, are paying the price for the recycling of these online purchases and retailers want and deserve a level playing field.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Clancy said Irish companies are legally obliged to contribute towards recycling and that Repak members contribute almost €30m to the collection and recycling of packaging they place on the market.
This money, he said, funds household green bins, civic amenity sites and bottle banks.
He explained there was a loophole in European legislation that meant online retailers from outside Ireland, do not have a responsibility under packaging regulations to contribute to the recycling costs.
