Repak
Over the past 20 years, Repak has grown from a ‘compliance scheme’ to a leading environmental organisation that has helped transform the recycling landscape in Ireland, providing credible knowledge and expertise to many stakeholders on packaging waste, while supporting our Members. For many years, we have challenged our Members to increase the sustainability of their packaging, through the following initiatives.
Who is Repak?
Repak was established in 1997 as a not-for-profit organisation to promote, co-ordinate and finance the collection and recovery of packaging waste. Repak has operated as an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme in Ireland since then and has been licenced by way of Ministerial approval.
Repak is run by a board which includes Repak members, elected by the membership. The scheme is funded by fees from the producers of packaging, which they pay to Repak for placing packaging on the market, with higher fees for materials which are harder to recycle. These fees are then paid out by Repak as subsidies to waste collectors for them to collect, sort, recover and recycle the packaging waste.
Extended Producer Responsibility
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that makes producers responsible for their products along the entire lifecycle, including at the post-consumer stage. EPR generates funding from producers that help to pay for the collection, sorting and recycling of waste products. By doing so, it helps achieve environmental goals such as recycling targets.
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
EU Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWD) is the main piece of legislation governing packaging and packaging waste in Europe. Despite being regulated since 1994, packaging waste remains a significant issue. In response to concerns around the growing environmental impact of packaging waste across Europe, a new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been introduced to replace the current Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.
