Repak said today that its Plastic Pledge Signatories achieved an average recycling rate of 72% in 2023, far surpassing EU Circular Economy targets of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030.
151 Repak members are Signatories of the Plastic Pledge, according to its sixth annual Plastic Pledge Report.
Signatories to the pledge also achieved an average recycled content of 43% across various projects last year, with some products attaining 100% recycled plastic content.
Repak said all of the Signatories to the pledge are "changemakers" but four of them last year were "heroes" in their commitment to the four objectives of the Pledge - Aldi, Lidl, Nestle and The Culinary Food Group.
The Repak Plastic Pledge's four objectives are: prioritising the prevention of plastic packaging waste, minimising avoidable single-use packaging and promoting the reuse of packaging, helping Ireland deliver the EU's plastic recycling targets of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030, reducing complexity within the plastic packaging supply chain by simplifying polymer usage and eliminating non-recyclable components by 2030 as well as increasing the use of plastic packaging with recycled content, supporting the circular economy.
Repac said that Lidl last year moved from a hinged, rigid plastic lid to a lighter film on their pasta pots, reducing weight by 50% and saving 16.5 tonnes, while The Culinary Food Group diverted six tonnes of plastic box liners from general waste.
Aldi also became the first major retailer to introduce a fully recyclable handwash pump, saving 30 tonnes of packaging per year, while Nestlé redesigned its two finger KitKat wrapper to include 80% recycled plastic.
Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of Repak, said that the Plastic Pledge Signatories last year made remarkable strides toward fulfilling the ambitious goals of its Plastic Packaging Recycling Strategy 2018-2030.
"While these advancements are commendable, the road to meeting the future recycling targets for plastic packaging remains challenging," Ms Kavanagh said.
"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," he added.
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications Ossian Smyth said today's report shows that the country is committed to achieving meaningful change in the realm of plastic packaging.
"The signatures have provided us with the confidence that the challenges presented by plastic packaging can be overcome through our collective efforts," he added.
