Nearly half of all packaging waste in Ireland is now being recycled, according to figures from the official industry recycling scheme, Repak.
However, the figures also show that there continues to be a poor recycling rate in Irish homes, compared with industry, with householders recycling just one-fifth of the packaging waste they dispose of.
Overall recycling of packaging waste reached record levels, with 414,000 tonnes of cardboard, plastic, metals and glass recovered or recycled in 2003.
This represents 47 per cent of all packaging waste generated in Ireland last year, principally bottles and cans.
The highest rate is for glass, with seven out of every 10 bottles and jars being recycled, 75,000 tonnes in total.
More than 40,000 tonnes of steel and aluminium cans are recycled, representing a rate of just under 50 per cent, according to Repak.
Forty-five per cent of all paper or cardboard, 176,000 tonnes in total, was also recovered or recycled.
Under the Repak scheme, subsidies and financing are provided to waste companies and local authorities for recycling. This is financed by a levy on more than 1,700 Irish companies which produce packaging. Last year Repak spent €15 million on subsidies and grants.
Waste companies can expect a payment averaging €50 per tonne of material collected for recycling or recovery.
Industry and commercial premises had a much better rate of recycling compared with domestic homes, where 74,000 tonnes of packaging was recycled in 2003. Although this was an improvement of 48 per cent on the previous year, 80 per cent of bottles, cans and other packaging from Irish homes still ends up in landfill.
Yesterday Mr Darrell Crowe, marketing director for Repak, said Ireland was "on target" to reach a 50 per cent recycling rate for packaging material next year, which is required under European law. However, he acknowledged that the rate in domestic homes continued to be poor.
However, pay-by-weight and pay-by-volume systems, which all regions will be required to implement from next year, have had a dramatic effect. Figures from Cork and Dublin where the scheme has been introduced suggest that householders cut their waste by an average 30 per cent.