Circular Economy Package Policy Statement
UK policy statement setting out the approach to transposing the 2020 Circular Economy Package (CEP) waste measures.
The relevant UK Government Departments have jointly published a statement setting out the approach to transposing the 2020 CEP waste measures.
The statement and supporting documents set out some background on the key aspects of the CEP and the changes which will be made to implement the CEP across the UK.
Circular Economy Package policy statement
The CEP was transposed into legislation in Northern Ireland in 2020 as The Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020. This amended the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and introduced, amongst a range of measures, a municipal recycling rate target of 65%, and less than 10% landfill, by 2035. This legislation also extended the definition of ‘municipal waste’, to include waste collected from sources other than households where this waste is similar in nature and composition.
A range of proposals designed to help achieve these targets were included in the Rethinking Our Resources: Measures for Climate Action and a Circular Economy in NI document, published for consultation in March 2024.
The Rethinking Our Resources: Northern Ireland Resources and Waste Management Strategy document was published for consultation in January 2026. It sets out actions and targets and provides the policy landscape for how waste is managed in NI.