Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

408 Chapter 15: Circular Economy and Waste The economic value of household expenditure in Ireland increased by 50% between 2014 and 2022 (from €80.6 billion to €120.9 billion). Consumption had dropped by 10% between 2019 and 2020, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic-related downturn. The three areas of household consumption responsible for the greatest household expenditure in Ireland in 2022 were: food (28.7%), housing (28%) and services (21.3%). 7 7 ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/NAMA_10_CO3_P3/default/table?lang=en (accessed 24 June 2024). 8 commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/ sustainable-products/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en (accessed 25 July 2024). 9 Directive (EU) 2019/771 on common rules to promote the repair of goods for consumers. The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020– 2025 (DECC, 2020) clearly states that waste policy can no longer be limited to considering how to treat the waste we produce, an approach that is implicitly based on a linear, or take–make–consume–throw away model that cannot be sustained. Our policy focus must be broader and look at how people consume materials and resources and how the products that households and businesses use can be better designed (Topic Box 15.2) to prevent waste generation and resource consumption and extend the productive life of all goods and products in our society and economy. Topic Box 15.2  Regulating for circular design of future products The OECD report The Circular Economy in Ireland (OECD, 2022) states that ‘circular waste management starts with ensuring that products are built to last by promoting or mandating ecodesign across the entire product life cycle.’ The current legislation related to ecodesign in Ireland is the EU Ecodesign Directive on energy-related products (2009/125/EC). The European Commission’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation 8 (2024/1781/EC) came into force in July 2024. This Regulation will allow the EU to set design requirements for a wide range of products to be sold in the EU with the aim of extending the lifetime of products, making them more resource-efficient, and making them easier to repair and recycle. A digital product passport will be introduced for all products regulated. The Regulation also bans the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear by large and medium enterprises, which will help reduce waste. The European Commission is also progressing legislation 9 supporting the right to repair for consumers, which will make it easier and more cost-effective to repair goods. These proposals are part of the Commission’s sustainable products initiative, which aims to improve the design and repairability of products to extend their useful life.