Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
199. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total estimated tonnage of food waste disposed of every year; the steps that he is taking to minimise its generation and the reuse of the waste generated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38860/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate that Ireland generated approximately 1.1 million tonnes of food waste in 2019 (latest year for which EPA published data is available). The EPA estimate that 528,000 tonnes of Irish waste was accepted for treatment at composting and anaerobic digestion facilities. Municipal biowaste (kitchen and canteen food waste, garden and park green waste, edible oils and fats) made up 56 per cent of the waste accepted for composting/anaerobic digestion in 2019.
Further information is available at:
www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/national-waste-statistics-summary-report-for-2019.php.
The above EPA report also indicates that a significant amount of food waste in Ireland is not currently being segregated for separate collection and ends up in residual and recycling bins.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, Ireland's National Waste Policy 2020-2025, includes a number of measures to tackle food waste in Ireland, with a key focus on food waste prevention, redistribution and infrastructure, and food waste management. Information on these measures can be found at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/4221c-waste-action-plan-for-a-circular-economy/.
One of the key measures includes a commitment to work with a range of stakeholders to develop a Food Waste Prevention Roadmap that sets out a series of actions to deliver the reductions necessary to halve our food waste by 2030, meet any other related targets, and promote our transition to a circular economy. A public consultation on Ireland’s first draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap closed on 28th March 2022. My Department is now considering the submissions received with a view to publishing the Roadmap later in 2022.
