A Curious Drop in Waste — Despite a Boom in Building
According to Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the country generated 8.3 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in 2022, down from 9 million tonnes in both 2012 and 2021. On the surface, this might seem like progress — until you dig into the details.
Despite steady growth in the construction sector, waste volumes have declined. Why? And where has the material gone?
What’s Really in the Waste?
The EPA’s 2022 data reveals that 82% of Ireland’s C&D waste is just soil and stones — roughly 6.74 million tonnes.
What’s left?
Concrete, brick, tile, gypsum: ~7%
Mixed C&D waste: ~7%
Metals, timber, plastics, glass, etc.: just ~4%
(Source: EPA National Waste Statistics 2022)
These figures are supported by a LetsRecycle.com report highlighting that over half of all waste in Ireland comes from construction, and 85% of that is soil and stones.
But Where Are the Rest of the Materials?
Every construction site in Ireland generates:
Concrete slabs
Bricks and blocks
Timber from formwork
Scrap metal and plastics
Packaging waste and insulation off-cuts
If only 4–7% of waste accounts for all this, then either:
These materials are being properly reused — but not tracked, or
They’re being omitted, misclassified, or misreported
Paper-Based Reporting Is a Blind Spot
The likely culprit? Outdated manual tracking systems.
Many subcontractors still use pen-and-paper dockets, later entered into spreadsheets. These:
Are prone to human error or loss
Allow materials to be recorded vaguely or omitted
Offer no real-time transparency or audit trail
In this system, waste can easily disappear — on paper, and in practice.
What This Means for Public Bodies and the Circular Economy
Without accurate tracking:
We can’t ensure construction materials are being recovered, reused, or recycled.
We risk under-reporting or false compliance.
We fall short of Ireland’s circular economy goals and EU waste targets.
Public bodies remain vulnerable to scrutiny, reputational damage, or legal exposure when materials are mismanaged.
The Solution Exists — So Why Aren’t We Using It?
Real-time, digital tracking tools now exist that:
Log every vehicle and load, with GPS and time stamps
Track materials from source to site to disposal
Provide verifiable data equivalent to a blockchain audit trail
Eliminate manual entry and vastly improve compliance
At Hub360, we’ve implemented this with forward-thinking local authorities like Monaghan County Council, delivering full visibility across material movement, waste, and site operations — live.
Final Thought: If We Can’t Track It, We Can’t Regulate It
It’s time to move beyond paper. Ireland’s waste targets, environmental reputation, and public trust depend on accurate, real-time, tamper-proof data.
Because if 85% of what we record is just dirt — what else are we burying?
Sources:
EPA National Waste Statistics 2022
LetsRecycle: Half of Irish Waste from Construction Sector
Irish Government Circular Economy Strategy