The Repak packaging compliance scheme was established in 1997 under a voluntary agreement between Irish Industry and the Government of Ireland as a solution to the responsibilities placed on suppliers of all types of packaging by the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC).  This was transposed into Irish law as the Waste Management Act, 1996 and the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 1997, and subsequent amendments, the latest of these being the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2003.  Repak affiliated to Pro Europe in 1999 and has operated as a national “Green Dot” scheme since then. 

Together with Greece and Portugal, recovery targets for Ireland were initially set lower than those of the other European states (“EU 15”) to allow for the development of a more comprehensive waste management infrastructure. Ireland is now working towards the 2011 targets incorporating the final period of derogation.  Irish government regulation has brought forward the EU 2011 targets to end 2008 by which time Ireland is required to recover and recycle a total of 60% of all packaging placed on the market  

By the end of 2008, Repak reported a recycling rate of 64% thus achieving the EU 2011 target a full 3 years ahead of time.