Almost 100,000 tonnes of packaging waste expected this Christmas in Ireland alone

This is higher than last year.

There is an increasing concern when it comes to the climate and how we can protect the planet, especially when it comes to Christmas presents and the amount of waste that ends up in our bins this time of year. While many of us opt for more eco-conscious presents, with 75% of shoppers going more green for Christmas, there is still a huge load of waste expected. According to new figures released by Repak, Ireland is expected to generate 95,000 tonnes of packaging waste set to be dumped over the Christmas period. As a way to become more environmentally friendly, 43% of shoppers are planning to buy eco-friendly presents, while 25% said they will buy between 10-15 gifts this Christmas and 49% plan to only spend €300 or less. CEO of Repak, Séamus Clancy said: "This Christmas, we are asking the Irish public to be more mindful of protecting the environment and dispose of their packaging waste in a responsible manner. "With 95,000 tonnes of packaging waste expected to be generated in Ireland over the festive period, it’s important that we all try to recycle more and better. "Since the start of September, all plastics can go into the recycling bin and by joining our Repak Team Green initiative, consumers can get great tips and advice on how to dispose of waste items correctly this Christmas." Repak has also said that Ireland is now exceeding the EU plastic recycling target of 22.5%, and to achieve the recycling targets of 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030, there will need to be "a concerted effort from everyone in Ireland". "Between the start of 2019 and the end of 2020, recycled plastic packaging tonnes increased by 9 per cent, so we are doing well but have to keep up the good work," Mr Clancy concluded.