'26 National Recycling Bin Survey
Lifting the Lid on Ireland's Packaging Waste
The National Recycling Bin Survey (NRBS) is Ireland's first and only citizen-led study to examine not just what is placed in household recycling bins, but where that waste comes from. Since 2023, households across the country have taken part in detailed recycling bin audits, helping to build a unique evidence base on packaging waste, consumer behaviour, and opportunities for waste prevention.
Conducted by VOICE Ireland as part of the Sick of Plastic campaign, the survey moves beyond traditional recycling statistics by identifying the sectors and product categories responsible for the packaging entering Irish homes.
Over three survey editions, participants from across Ireland have recorded more than 25,000 packaging items, providing valuable insights into how our consumption habits are changing and highlighting the urgent need to move beyond recycling towards waste prevention, reuse and refill systems.
Key findings across the surveys
The findings reveal several consistent trends:
- Supermarkets remain the largest source of household packaging waste, accounting for approximately 66% of recycling bin waste in 2023 and 70% in both 2025 and 2026.
- Plastic continues to dominate the recycling stream. Plastic represented 47% of all recorded items in 2023 and 2025, increasing to 55% in 2026, driven largely by growth in soft plastic packaging.
- Households participating in the 2026 survey recorded an average of 128 packaging items over a two-week period, equivalent to more than 3,300 items per household each year.
- The vast majority of participants want to reduce their packaging waste, and are frustrated by the amount of packaging waste entering the home.
- Existing reuse and refill solutions were shown to reduce packaging waste by up to 65% in the 2025 supermarket packaging audit.
The survey findings consistently show that while households are willing to reduce waste, many feel constrained by the packaging choices available to them through mainstream retail channels.
The National Recycling Bin Survey is the first in Ireland to analyse household recycling waste and attribute such waste to specific retail sectors.
National Recycling Bin Survey 2026
Lifting the Lid Report
The third edition of the survey analysed 6,418 packaging items from 50 households across 16 local authority areas. For the first time, participants also recorded what the packaging originally contained, providing new insights into categories such as fruit and vegetables, dry goods, ready meals, liquids, and household products. The survey found that 70% of all packaging originated from supermarkets, while 40% of supermarket packaging came from supermarket own-brand products, highlighting the influence retailers have over packaging decisions.
Download Report (PDF)
National Recycling Bin Survey 2025
Lifting the Lid Report
The second survey expanded participation across Ireland and examined over 9,000 packaging items. The findings reinforced the dominance of supermarket packaging in household recycling bins and included additional analysis of supermarket packaging practices, reusable packaging opportunities and the impact of Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme. The report highlighted the significant potential for refill and reuse systems to reduce household packaging waste.
National Recycling Bin Survey 2023
The Source of Recycling Waste: Lifting the Lid on Ireland's Packaging Problem
The inaugural survey analysed more than 10,000 packaging items from households across Ireland and established the first national picture of the sources of recycling-bin waste. It identified supermarkets as the primary source of packaging entering Irish homes and provided the baseline against which subsequent surveys have been measured.
From Recycling to Prevention
While recycling remains important, the National Recycling Bin Survey highlights a growing challenge: packaging waste in Ireland continues to increase. The findings support a shift towards prevention-focused solutions, including reusable packaging, refill systems, packaging-free shopping options and stronger producer responsibility.
By making these reports publicly available, we aim to support informed public discussion, evidence-based policymaking, and action towards a more circular and resource-efficient Ireland.
Browse the reports below to explore the findings and discover what's really ending up in Ireland's recycling bins.
