Packaging waste from online retailers growing by 28% per year
Irish packaging waste from online shopping exceeds 7,000 tonnes per year.
The amount of packaging waste generated in Ireland from online shopping is growing by 28% per year - it's now over 7,000 tonnes.
Online retailers outside the state such as Amazon do not spend a penny towards the cost of recycling the packaging delivered to Irish households due to a legal loophole, according to a new report carried out by Repak Ltd.
The report shows that over 7,520 tonnes of waste are being delivered to Irish households each year by international retailers.
“This amounts to an abuse of the Irish recycling system and the Government must respond,” said Séamus Clancy, CEO of Repak Recycling.
“The likes of Amazon and others are dumping over 7,000 tonnes on us, and it is responsible Irish shopkeepers and retailers who are paying for this bill. To put it in context, that level of waste is the equivalent of all waste generated by a town of 16,000 people. This material has to be collected, gathered and recycled. It is costing Repak members approximately €500,000 a year to recycle and recover this packaging, of which international retailers do not pay a penny.”
