Ireland
Ireland pairs one national register with a scheme for each stream, and it added a beverage deposit in 2024. Irish EPR compliance means registering in PRL, joining the compliance scheme your products fall under, and reporting through it, across seven active streams.
Self-compliance is no longer an option for the big streams. Major packaging producers have had to join a scheme since the start of 2023.
The streams and their schemes
Seven streams carry duties today, each with an approved scheme behind it. Packaging runs through Repak, electronics through WEEE Ireland or ERP Ireland, and vehicles through ELVES.
Tyres widened in 2025. The scheme run by Circol ELT now covers every tyre category, from truck and bus to agricultural and industrial.
The newest duties are litter-driven. Single-use plastics and tobacco filters have carried EPR since 2023, wet wipes and balloons since the end of 2024, and plastic fishing gear joined through an interim scheme in 2025.
Registering with PRL
Producers register in PRL, the national producer register, and then join the scheme for each stream they place on the market.
Foreign sellers cannot skip the local step. A distance seller into Ireland appoints an Irish-established authorised representative by written mandate for the electronics and battery streams.
The deposit return scheme
Beverage containers carry a deposit under Re-turn, which went live on 1 February 2024. It is a separate system from packaging EPR.
Both schemes hit a drinks producer at once. In-scope containers go through Re-turn, and the rest of the producer's packaging still runs through Repak.
What changes next
The near-term calendar runs from packaging to textiles:
- 12 August 2026: the EU packaging regulation PPWR applies directly in Ireland.
- Fishing gear: the interim scheme is expected to move to full approval for 2026, with a collection target of 500 tonnes.
- Around April 2028: a textile and footwear EPR scheme must be in place, with an Irish roadmap in development.
Frequently asked questions about EPR in Ireland
Quick answers to what comes up most often.
What is EPR in Ireland?
Producer responsibility across seven active streams, with producers registered in PRL and joining approved schemes like Repak, WEEE Ireland and Circol ELT for collection and recycling.
What is the Irish EPR register?
Producer Register Ltd, known as PRL, the national register where producers sign up before joining the scheme for each stream they place on the market.
Is the deposit the same as packaging EPR?
No. The Re-turn deposit on beverage containers is a separate return system, live since February 2024. A drinks producer deals with both schemes, in-scope containers through Re-turn and other packaging through Repak.
Do foreign sellers need an Irish representative?
Yes for electronics and batteries. A distance seller into Ireland appoints an Irish-established authorised representative by written mandate.
Does Ireland have textile EPR yet?
Not yet. A scheme is required by around April 2028 under the revised EU waste directive, with an Irish roadmap and consultation in development.