Ireland's Circular Economy Strategy 2026–2028: What It Means for You

CIRCULÉIRE Case Studies.

Ireland's second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028 has been launched, and it marks a significant step forward for circularity in this country. At CIRCULÉIRE, we have been closely following its development and actively contributed by submitting our members' feedback through public consultation. We are pleased to share both a summary of what it contains and some excellent news: many of the recommendations our members helped shape have made it into the final text.  

Read on for a breakdown of the strategy's ambitions, the actions most relevant to your sector, and to see where your voice made a difference.

The Big Picture: A New Direction for Ireland's Circular Economy 

The Circularity Gap Report Ireland cover.

The strategy sets out an ambitious vision: by 2030, Ireland will be a recognised leader in circular innovation and collaboration, moving decisively away from the traditional 'take–make–waste' model toward a regenerative, closed-loop system where materials are kept in use for as long as possible.  

The scale of the challenge is real. Ireland's Circularity Gap Report puts our current Circularity Metric at just 2.7% —meaning that over 97% of materials flowing through our economy still come from virgin sources. The strategy aims to increase Ireland's circular material use rate by two percentage points each year, to reach 12% by 2030. 

Covering six key sectors — Construction, Agriculture, Retail, Packaging, Textiles, and Electronics & Electronic Equipment — the Strategy includes concrete targets and actions to drive reductions in material consumption and increases in repair, reuse, and circular product design.

Key Actions and Targets for CIRCULÉIRE Members

Here are some of the actions and targets most relevant to businesses across our member sectors.

Cross-Cutting & Innovation  

• A new Circularity Sandbox Programme will allow companies to safely test circular materials and processes in a collaborative, trial-friendly regulatory environment, a game-changer for circular innovators.   

• The Circular Economy Innovation Grants Scheme sees its funding increased from €650,000 to €1.5 million.  

• A dedicated Statutory Instrument will be introduced to simplify the classification of by-products, in line with EU legislation.  

• CIRCULÉIRE will be established as a Centre of Excellence for the circular economy in Ireland.  

• A Repair Voucher Scheme pilot and other targeted initiatives to encourage repair and reuse will be introduced.  

• Research will be undertaken on taxes and subsidies — including examining VAT on donation of goods prohibit from being destroyed under the ESPR — to incentivise prevention, reuse and repair.  

• Undertake a mapping exercise to identify all circular economy funding opportunities at both national and EU levels and engage with stakeholders to ensure that these are fully utilised.  

• Support CIRCULÉIRE in building a coalition across enterprise sectors, research and training to scale and deliver industrial impact.  

• Work with representative reuse and repair organisations, insurance bodies and other departments in identifying and implementing insurance reforms to support the development of more reuse cafés and associated repair infrastructure.

  
  

Bioeconomy  

• A National Bioeconomy Strategy to be published in 2026.  

• Review of the biowaste regulatory framework to enable the valorisation and reuse of bio-based materials.  

• Standards to be developed for the reuse of bio-based materials including biowaste.   

• A National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap to be published in 2026, and a target to reduce food waste in processing and manufacturing by 10% by 2030.  

• A feasibility study for a digital platform that enables all-Island Industrial Symbiosis.

  
  

Retail  

• Voluntary recycling labelling systems to be promoted, with development of a new system to demonstrate product circularity and sustainability.  

• By February 2028, Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés (HORECA) establishments must offer their own reusable packaging for takeaway items at no extra charge to the consumer.  

• Enhanced dialogue between retailers and the public sector on Right to Repair, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and Digital Product Passports.

Packaging  

• A reuse matchmaker platform to connect businesses generating and seeking reusable packaging flows.  

• Funding for demonstration pilots for reusable packaging formats.  

• Reusable and refillable packaging systems to be promoted under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).  

• A harmonised labelling system for packaging to be implemented as provided for in the PPWR.  

• Refill obligations to be implemented under PPWR.

  
  

Textiles  

• Publication of a National Policy Statement and Roadmap on Circular Textiles (launched on 2nd of April 2026). 

• Develop an EPR Scheme for textiles by April 2028.   

• Evidence-based public awareness campaigns on textile waste prevention and conscious consumption.  

• Support for implementation of the ESPR, including Digital Product Passports for textiles.  

• Green Public Procurement (GPP) of textiles to be driven through the GPP Strategy and Action Plan.  

• Enhance cross-sector collaboration and implementation through the Textiles Advisory Group.  

• By 2027, polyester fibre products procured by public sector bodies must include a minimum of 20% recycled content.  

Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE)

• A centralised registry for repair operators, refurbishers and remanufacturers active across Ireland.  

• Support the further development of circular electronic business models (lending, renting, leasing, repair and servicing) and communicate successful models and best practices.  

• By 2027, OGP will launch a new ICT equipment management framework to prioritise reuse.  

• Support for transposition of the Right to Repair Directive, including operation of a national repair platform by July 2027.  

• Continue to support the OGP in facilitating centralised procurement of remanufactured electronic equipment, and increased acquisition of long-life, repaired, refurbished electronics through centralised framework arrangements that support green public procurement objectives.

  
  

Built Environment & Construction  

• Publication of the Circularity Roadmap for the Construction Sector in 2026.  

• By 2027, a sectoral compact partnership will be agreed between government and industry to accelerate circular practices.  

• From 2028, at least 10% by weight of construction materials procured by public bodies for infrastructure projects must comprise recycled materials.  

• Feasibility study for a national digital marketplace for secondary construction materials.

CIRCULÉIRE Members Featured in the Strategy  

We are proud to share that the strategy features eight case studies highlighting circular innovation in practice, and all six come from CIRCULÉIRE members:  

• Built Environment: Arcology System  

• Circular Bioeconomy: EcoRoots  

• Retail: Shareclub  

• Packaging: Rebox  

• Textiles: Rezero  

• EEE: Votechnik  

These case studies were drawn from the CIRCULÉIRE library and are a strong testament to the quality and depth of the work carried out by our members.

Your Voice in the Final Strategy

One of the highlights of the Strategy launch for the CIRCULÉIRE network is that your feedback helped shape government policy.

CIRCULEIRE's submission to the public consultation was prepared on behalf of members, drawing on feedback gathered across five sectoral policy sessions involving 25 members, as well as insights from previous engagements. When we prepare submissions, we go back to your specific, documented feedback. We build the case, we explain the 'why', and that rigour makes recommendations more likely to be adopted.

We are delighted to share that several recommendations from our submission are clearly reflected in the final strategy:

Circularity Sandbox Programme  

Members raised the need for a safe testing space for circular materials before the full burden of regulation applies. This call, first raised in our End of Waste 2022 Thematic Working Group and carried forward into the public consultation, has been incorporated as a new dedicated action in the strategy. The Circularity Sandbox Programme uses language closely aligned with our submission.

Regulatory Barriers for Bio-Based Materials 

Members highlighted how many low-impact bio-based materials are classified as waste, triggering disproportionate handling requirements as well as the lack of policy coherence between environmental, health, and safety frameworks and standards. Two new targets in the final strategy directly address these concerns: a review of the biowaste regulatory framework and a new standards development process for secondary biological resources.

VAT on Donations of Unsold Goods  

Members raised a concern during our policy town hall: VAT is charged on donations of unsold goods to charities, treating them as sales, despite an EU exemption being available. With ESPR obligations on unsold goods coming in 2026, this issue is pressing. The final strategy now explicitly commits to examining VAT on donations of goods prohibited from being destroyed under the ESPR as part of its broader tax and subsidy research. The ESPR link we highlighted was directly referenced.

Registry for Repair and Recirculation Operators

Members highlighted the importance of supporting small-scale repair operators, such as phone-repair kiosks and independent technicians, who often lack access to quality parts or formal recognition and recommended linking them to a national digital exchange. The final strategy includes a new target to create a centralised registry for repair operators, refurbishers, and remanufacturers across Ireland.

Evidence-Based Textiles Awareness Campaigns  

Members recommended stronger, evidence-based public messaging on Ireland's textile consumption rates. Two new actions in the strategy adopt this approach. The specific phrase 'evidence-based', which we requested, appears in the final action text.

Sectoral Compact for Construction 

Members highlighted the value of deep, sector-specific engagement to tackle circular barriers in construction. A new target commits to a government-industry sectoral compact agreed by 2027 to accelerate circular practices in the sector.  

Recognition of Remanufacturing and R-Strategy Diversity  

Drawing on insights from CIRCULEIRE's  2024 Thematic Working Group on Remanufacturing, our submission highlighted the importance of promoting the full range of recirculation strategies and their critical role in product life-extension. We are delighted to see remanufacturing explicitly acknowledged in the final strategy, with specific actions including a centralised registry for r-strategy operators and support for circular business models such as repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing. This is a meaningful step toward recognising these as core pillars of Ireland's circular transition. 

What This Means for You and Why It Matters  

This strategy is not just a policy document; it is a signal of the direction Ireland's circular economy is heading, and an opportunity for circular enterprises to grow, innovate, and lead.  

The fact that recommendations from CIRCULÉIRE’s submission are visible in the final text reflects the effort members put into our policy sessions, and the care with which IMR, on behalf of network members, develops and presents the feedback you share with us. This is exactly the kind of impact that justifies your participation.  

We will continue to monitor implementation of the strategy closely and keep members informed as new funding streams, regulatory changes, and engagement opportunities arise. If any of the actions or targets outlined above are particularly relevant to your business, please do get in touch. We would love to support you in making the most of them.  

You can access the full submission here: (2024) Public Consultation Submission to Ireland's Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028 – CIRCULÉIRE.