Ireland
Before you can sell SUP products in Ireland
Single-use plastics EPR in Ireland does not run through a register. There is no PRL entry and no registration number to obtain.
Compliance is purely PRO membership, which makes the route simpler than electronics or batteries but also means there is no public lookup for whether a producer is compliant.
Imagine you import disposable food containers into Ireland. You are the producer under S.I. 516/2021 because you first place the product on the Irish market. Your obligation is to join the relevant PRO and fund litter clean-up, collection and awareness.
Does Irish SUP EPR apply to you
The producer is the business that first places the single-use plastic product on the Irish market, whether as filler, brand owner or importer. The obligation covers SUP packaging items and litter-prone non-packaging items.
| Item group | EPR since |
|---|---|
| Tobacco filters | 5 January 2023 |
| Food containers, cups, bags, beverage containers | 31 December 2024 |
| Wet wipes, balloons | 31 December 2024 |
Many SUP items are also packaging. A plastic cup or food container can sit under both SUP EPR and packaging EPR through Repak, so one product may owe two schemes.
Your reporting duties in Ireland
Report through your PRO. Tobacco filters run through TPPFG, which has been operating since 5 January 2023. The approved operator for wet wipes and balloons (mandatory since 31 December 2024) is not yet named in official sources.
No specific filing date is published centrally. Cadence is set by the scheme.
The gap in the wet-wipes and balloons PRO name is real. The obligation exists, and EPA confirms it, but the scheme operator is not publicly identified.
Where the money goes in Ireland
SUP EPR is a litter-cost stream. The money funds four things: litter clean-up, collection and treatment, public awareness, and data reporting. This is different from a traditional packaging scheme that funds material recovery.
Fee amounts are set by the PRO and are not published in our sources.
What changes next for SUP in Ireland
By 2030 every plastic bottle must contain at least 30 percent recycled material, and by 2029 ninety percent of plastic bottles must be collected separately.
The Re-turn deposit scheme already handles beverage container returns separately from the SUP litter cost, so a plastic drinks bottle sits under both the deposit and the SUP obligation.
Frequently asked questions about single-use plastics EPR in Ireland
Key questions for SUP producers.
What does single-use plastics EPR mean in Ireland?
It means the producer who first places a SUP product on the Irish market pays for litter clean-up, collection, awareness and data. It is a litter-cost obligation, not a traditional recycling scheme.
Who has to register for single-use plastics EPR in Ireland?
Manufacturers, importers and fillers who first place SUP products on the Irish market. There is no PRL registration for SUP. Compliance is PRO membership.
How much does single-use plastics EPR cost in Ireland?
PRO membership with contributions set by the scheme. No official rate is published. The cost funds litter clean-up, not material recovery.
When are single-use plastics reports due in Ireland?
Through your PRO, at a cadence the scheme sets. No centrally published deadline.
Is the deposit scheme part of single-use plastics EPR in Ireland?
No. The Re-turn deposit on beverage containers is a separate return system, live since February 2024. A plastic drinks bottle can sit under both the SUP litter cost and the deposit system.
