Ireland has made significant strides in managing construction and demolition (C&D) waste, achieving an 82% recovery rate—exceeding the EU’s 70% target. However, a closer look at the figures reveals a critical issue: only 10% of this waste is recycled, with the vast majority directed towards backfilling. Additionally, while Ireland’s overall Circular Material Use Rate (CMUR) stands at a mere 1.8%, far below the EU average of 11.5%, the construction sector plays a crucial role in this deficit. The construction industry generated 32.6% of Ireland’s total waste in 2020, making it the largest contributor among all sectors. Yet, limited recycling and reuse efforts mean that valuable materials are not being reintegrated into the economy. This reliance on backfilling rather than recycling highlights a key area where improvement is necessary for Ireland to align with leading European countries in sustainable construction waste management.

The "Supporting the Circular Economy Transition in the Irish Construction Sector" report by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) highlights the growing role of digital tools in waste tracking. Section 3.2: Digital Innovations in Waste Tracking (Page 28) emphasises how advanced technologies can revolutionise the way construction and demolition (C&D) waste is managed, ensuring compliance with Ireland’s 2030 circular economy targets.

As Ireland moves towards stricter waste management regulations, the integration of digital solutions is no longer optional—it is an essential strategy for tracking, optimising, and reporting waste in real time. Digital innovations enhance efficiency, reduce landfill dependency, and help construction firms meet regulatory obligations while cutting costs.

As Ireland moves towards its 2030 waste reduction and circular economy goals, collaboration between construction industry stakeholders and regulatory agencies is becoming increasingly critical. Section 5.3 of the "Supporting the Circular Economy Transition in the Irish Construction Sector" report (Page 40) highlights the necessity of working closely with environmental authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve compliance, transparency, and sustainability in construction waste management.

Ireland’s public sector construction projects are evolving, with sustainability and environmental compliance becoming major factors in awarding contracts. With strict waste reduction targets set for 2030, construction firms collaborating with government agencies need to ensure their waste management practices align with national and EU directives.

For companies aiming to secure more public sector work, staying ahead of regulatory requirements and demonstrating a commitment to sustainable waste management is no longer optional—it’s a competitive advantage.

In its guidance, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) reinforces a message that every local authority and roads engineer should take seriously:

Road planings must be tracked through their entire lifecycle.

As Ireland accelerates its shift toward a circular economy, public bodies are being held accountable not just for how roads are built—but for how materials are recovered, reused, and reported.

This isn’t just best practice. It’s becoming compliance.

Site-won asphalt refers to asphalt that is carefully removed during road resurfacing or maintenance projects. Instead of discarding this valuable resource, it can be collected, processed, and reused—helping to create stronger roads, lower costs, and reduce environmental impact.

Fluctuating Waste Figures Raise Red Flags

The Numbers Don’t Add Up 

2012: Ireland generated approximately 9 million tonnes of C&D waste.

2021: The country reported 9 million tonnes of C&D waste again.
2022: This number dropped to 8.3 million tonnes, with soil and stones making up 85% of this waste.

With road planing season fast approaching, there’s no time for complicated software rollouts or lengthy training sessions. That’s why Hub360 is built for speed—within 48 hours, your company can be fully operational with:

A complete desktop management system
Apps downloaded and ready to use on any smartphone
Quick training so your team can hit the ground running
Secure cloud storage for all records—no lost data, no manual tracking

As road planning season kicks off in May, county councils and road maintenance companies must ensure they are prepared—not just with equipment and materials, but with accurate, verifiable data. With CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) requirements coming into effect this year, made-up stats won't cut it anymore. The industry must shift to real, traceable, and verified data to comply with circular economy directives and sustainability goals.

In today’s rapidly evolving sustainability landscape, companies in the construction sector are under increasing pressure to report on their environmental impact. But how much of that reporting is real—and how much is just greenwashing?

The Greenwashing Trap in Construction

The industry has historically relied on vague data sets, estimates, and generalised assumptions to meet sustainability reporting requirements. But as legislation tightens, the practice of overstating environmental credentials without real, verifiable data is becoming a high-risk strategy.

Are Your Reports Built on Guesswork?

Some of the most common greenwashing tactics in the construction sector include:

• Over-reliance on industry averages rather than project-specific emissions tracking.

• Self-certifying sustainability claims without third-party audits.

• Estimating material recycling rates instead of real-time monitoring.

• Lack of transparency in supply chain sustainability practices.

• Avoiding long-term accountability by highlighting minor eco-friendly changes while ignoring core environmental issues.

In today’s fast-paced construction and infrastructure industries, efficiency is paramount. Yet, many businesses still rely on outdated, paper-based tracking systems for aggregate deliveries, leading to costly inefficiencies, compliance risks, and revenue losses.

With millions of euros worth of materials transported annually, it’s time to consider a smarter, more efficient approach. In this blog, we’ll explore the hidden costs of manual tracking and how digitisation with Hub360 can help businesses cut costs, enhance compliance, and improve efficiency.

On March 1st, 2024, Ireland introduced the National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at reducing waste, increasing recycling, and embedding sustainability into national and local government operations. The plan, which spans 2024 to 2030, not only sets new standards for the private sector but also imposes critical responsibilities on government organisations, semi-state bodies, and local authorities to lead by example.