The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called for organic waste bins to be urgently rolled out to all houses, apartments and commercial premises that do not already have them.
The National Municipal Waste Characterisation Project concluded that over two-thirds of material in general waste bins should have been placed in recycling or organic waste bins.
The EPA said householders and the commercial sector need more support from the waste industry, adding that there has been very little change in what people and businesses have been putting into their bins over the past four years.
Food waste, plastics and nappies are the top three wastes in household bins, while food waste, paper, and plastics are the top three in commercial bins.
The EPA said thousands of households and businesses still do not have organic waste bins which makes correct food waste segregation impossible to achieve.
The group called this disappointing and is demanding that the waste industry provides organic waste bins where there currently are none and that it supports awareness campaigns to make waste segregation easier.
The EU Waste Directive requires all households to have a separate organic waste collection from the end of this year, while since the start of July this year Irish waste regulations required all commercial premises to have a separate organic waste collection.
The EPA wants access to recycling infrastructure, such as civic amenity sites and bring banks, to be made easier for householders to support the segregation of special, bulky and hazardous wastes.
The EPA's National Municipal Waste Characterisation Project is conducted every four years and has found that 64% of food waste generated by householders is placed in general waste bins while only 32% is placed in organic waste bins.
According to the study, the latest available waste collector's data indicates that only 69% of households have an organic waste bin.
It also found that 65% of plastic generated by householders is placed in general waste bins while only 31% is placed in recycling bins.
Of the items placed in general waste bins, 64% could be put into recycling bins, organic waste bins or brought to civic amenity sites, recycling centres or bring banks.
In contrast, only 5% of items in organic waste bins should be in general waste bins or recycling bins which indicates that householders are putting mostly organic and compostable wastes into the organic waste bin.
Regarding commercial waste, the study said that 70% of food waste generated by the commercial sector is placed in general waste bins while only 25% is placed in organic waste bins.
The report found that 75% of plastic generated by the commercial sector is placed in general waste bins with only 25% placed in recycling bins.
Of the items in general waste bins, 69% should be put into recycling bins, organic waste bins or brought to civic amenity sites, and bring banks.
