Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

423 Chapter 15: Circular Economy and Waste Topic Box 15.4  EPA’s role in preventing food waste The EPA is the competent authority for delivering the statutory National Food Waste Prevention Programme, producing statutory reporting on food waste and delivering key actions in the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. The EPA delivers campaigns and supporting resources targeting food waste generation in households, across the supply chain and in the hospitality sector. Stop Food Waste 23 is the public-facing national campaign to reduce household food waste generation in Ireland. The campaign runs awareness-raising initiatives to share easy tips and resources on how to make the most of our food, keep it fresher for longer and avoid generating food waste. Its messaging and intended audiences are informed by ongoing behavioural insights and market research. The theme for all campaigns is to encourage simple good behaviours around purchasing food and meal planning. The EPA also manages and coordinates the national Food Waste Charter, relaunched in June 2023 and supported by five state agencies (Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Enterprise Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Teagasc) that pledged their support to champion the charter in their sustainability programmes. Businesses that sign up voluntarily commit to measuring their food waste using EPA methodologies, setting targets, taking action to reduce food waste and reporting their progress annually. Business that take these actions reduce their operational costs and contribute to organisational climate change mitigation and sustainability goals. 23 stopfoodwaste.ie/ (accessed 1 July 2024). National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023–2025 (DECC, 2022) sets out 38 actions to steer efforts towards achieving Ireland’s commitment to halve food waste by 2030. This commitment is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 to halve global per capita food waste by 2030. The European Commission is also proposing legally binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved by Member States by 2030 as part of the revision of the Waste Framework Directive. Key areas of focus in the roadmap include food waste measurement and reporting, extending the EPA’s Food Waste Charter to food supply chain businesses, surplus food donation and redistribution measures, food waste segregation, communications and awareness on food waste prevention, research and innovation, and green public procurement (Topic Box 15.4). DECC is the lead government department developing Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap and coordinating and reviewing its implementation. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the lead government department for UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3. Construction sector roadmap and guidance The Climate Action Plan 2023 (DECC, 2023a) sets a target of a 35% reduction in emissions (against 2018 levels) by 2030 from construction materials. The Circular Economy Strategy (DECC, 2021a) committed to developing a series of sectoral roadmaps for resource- intensive sectors of the economy. The construction and demolition sector is the largest single source of waste in the Irish economy; this is also generally the case globally. However, only a small percentage (approximately 8%) of total Irish construction and demolition waste is recycled or reused, with most being backfilled and some being sent for disposal. DECC is developing the Circular Economy Roadmap for the Construction Sector for draft publication in 2024. A full public consultation ahead of its finalisation is also planned for before the end of 2024. The Circular Economy Roadmap for the Construction Sector will be informed by a report under development that is being led by the Construction Sector Group’s Innovation and Digital Adoption Sub-Group. The Construction Sector Group was set up in 2018 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as a forum for regular and open dialogue between the government and the construction industry. It focuses on how best to achieve and maintain a sustainable and innovative construction sector positioned to successfully deliver on the commitments in Project Ireland 2040. This report is due for completion in 2024.