EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 9: Waste Aerial view of Poolbeg, Dublin Waste Imports and Exports Ireland exports 21 times as much waste for treatment as it imports. In 2019, over 100,000 tonnes of waste were imported and just under 2.1 million tonnes exported (Table 9.3). Imported waste is mainly refuse-derived fuel for energy recovery, plastics and scrap lead. Exports of bottom ash from incineration plants have increased since 2017 following the commissioning of the second municipal waste-to-energy facility and soil and stone exports increased, 13 reflecting increased activity in the construction sector and the lack of a national treatment capacity. One million tonnes (over one-third) of municipal waste was exported for treatment: 729,000 tonnes for recycling and 287,000 tonnes for energy recovery (EPA, 2020a). In 2019, paper and cardboard and metals accounted for over 75 per cent by weight of green list 14 waste exports. At the time of the last state of the environment report in 2016, China was the main destination for green list waste exports (245,000 tonnes) but, following China’s ban on the importation of waste plastics in 2018, Ireland now exports waste paper, plastics and metals to a broader range of countries in South East Asia (NTFSO, 2020). 13 In 2019 soil and stone accounted for 10 per cent of all notified transfrontier shipment exports. 14 Green list wastes are non-hazardous, non-mixed wastes shipped for recovery (e.g. recyclable wastes such as plastics, metals, wood). Table 9.3  Waste imports and exports, tonnes, 2019 (Source: National TransFrontier Shipment Office) WASTE SHIPMENT REGISTER WASTE IMPORTS WASTE EXPORTS Amber list a 52,860 1,105,996 Green list b 48,602 981,773 Total 101,462 2,087,769 a Amber list wastes are hazardous or mixed wastes shipped for disposal or recovery (e.g. combustible wastes). b Green list wastes are non-hazardous, non-mixed wastes shipped for recovery (e.g. recyclable wastes such as plastics, metals, wood). 235