€640k awarded to projects to promote the circular economy across Ireland

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for the Circular Economy and Communications, Ossian Smyth TD, has announced funding of €640,000 for 13 projects across Ireland under the second Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS). 

Minister Smyth made the announcement at a ceremony to mark the opening of the Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin 2023 event in the Mansion House this evening (29^th May 2023). This annual international event, which runs until 1^st June, is an opportunity to learn from, network with, and be inspired by the very best in sustainability and circular economy initiatives.

Creating a ‘circular economy’ is part of the move towards a more sustainable future, with a focus on reducing and eliminating waste and keeping resources in use for as long as possible. The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme will help communities to make this transition.

Congratulating the successful applicants, Minister of State Smyth said: 

“The scale of the challenge to become circular requires change at every level of our society. I am delighted to be able to support these projects which have been proposed from people active in making and advocating change. I look forward to realizing the ambition of these projects and building further on their success in the coming years of this scheme.”

The selected projects will support the drive to develop the circular economy in areas such as sustainable fashion, sharing platforms, ICT & electronics, energy, reusable food packaging and construction.

The 13 projects that have been awarded funding under the second CEIGS scheme are listed below. To arrange media interviews or request a comment, please contact the individual organisations directly.

• Fast Track Into Information Technology CLG, Dublin 11;
• Saltrock Dairy, Co. Wexford;
• IMS Site Services, Dublin 2;
• RWN CycleUp, Co. Roscommon;
• Athchursail Arann CGA, Co. Galway;
• Nationwide Community Energy, Co. Mayo;
• Circular Costume Ireland, Co. Wicklow;
• CLASP, Co. Sligo;
• Clare Local Development Company, Co. Clare
• Carrickmacross Toy Library, Co. Monaghan (contact Jill Kennon at jill@cmxtoylibrary.ie);
• Manorhamilton Innovation & Development, Co. Leitrim;
• Zerobin, Dublin 2 (contact Paul McSweeney at info@thezeronet.com);
• We Make Good, Dublin 2. 

This grant scheme complements other circular economy work being progressed under Minister of State Smyth, including the introduction of new environmental levies such as the new waste recovery levy, incentivization of commercial waste collection, the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and cans, and the publication of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. 

For further information please visit www.gov.ie. 

Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS)

The second round of funding under Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) was launched in November of 2022 to provide support for projects working in the circular economy space to raise awareness of the need to make the transition. By funding ambitious projects and enterprises, this grant scheme showcases examples of best practice.

For now, funding offers are conditional on the satisfaction of due diligence and other requirements. However, those that make it through to a final award can expect to get their projects underway this summer.

Funding under this round of the CEIGS was set at €650,000 (of which €640,000 is being awarded in this tranche). This year’s funding is an increase of almost 30% on funding awarded under the scheme in 2021, when a total of €500,000 was awarded. The reason for the proposed year-on-year increase

 is that the Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023 commits to increasing per annum funding under the CEIGS to €1 million by 2024; the proposed increase is in line with that commitment. 

Circular Economy – Background 

Delivering a circular economy will have positive environmental, economic and social impacts. A well-designed circular policy framework can identify co-benefits, so that environmental improvements also provide economic and social opportunities, and vice versa. Across Europe, countries are moving towards and adopting circular economy practices. The EU is pursuing its ‘European Green Deal’ strategy, which has the circular economy at its heart. In March 2020, the EU launched its Second Circular Economy Action Plan. At the national level, Ireland published its first whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy in December 2021 to ensure policy coherence across the public sector and to outline the Government’s overall approach to the circular economy for stakeholders and the public.

The Circular Economy Act 2022 goes further – by translating this policy approach into a statutory requirement. It will also provide the necessary statutory underpinning to a range of actions that will strengthen waste enforcement in relation to illegal dumping and littering, e.g. through allowing for the GDPR-compliant use of CCTV and other technologies in enforcement actions. The Circular Economy Strategy provides a national policy framework for Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. This Act places that Strategy, and the commitment to a circular economy, on a clear statutory footing. The National Circular Economy Programme (operated by the EPA) will be placed on the same statutory basis.

The circular economy is not a new idea; in fact many circular activities are already commonplace. However, achieving the full benefits requires more than action at individual level; it requires the right mix of Government policy and regulation, new business models and new systems of production. It also requires education and awareness.

Find out more at: https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/528f7-circular-economy/

Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin 2023

Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin 2023 takes place from 29^th May to 1^st June. Hosted by a different city or region each year, attendees will learn about practical steps and resources to mobilise action on the circular economy within their respective countries, network with international stakeholders and engage in inspiring discussions through talks, tours, workshops and topic deep dives.

Circular Economy Hotspot is being hosted by a coordination group made up of Dublin City Council, the Rediscovery Centre, the Eastern Midlands Waste Region, and Circuléire, with additional support and funding from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

For more information on Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin 2023, including the full agenda of events, visit https://www.dublincirculareconomyhotspot.com.