The Government is to bring forward plans to ban single-use plastics, according to the Climate Action and Environment Minister.
It's part of a suite of measures that will also include putting fees on non-recyclable plastics and cutting dependence on landfill.
Richard Bruton is today meeting with waste collectors, household representative groups and local authorities today to see how best they can deliver the targets set out in the Climate Action Plan.
Ahead of the meeting, he said the Government will be following through on an EU directive to ban single-use plastics by 2021.
Minister Bruton explained: "Single-use plastics are to be eliminated... no non-recyclable plastic by 2030.
"We've already banned [items like plastic knives and forks] since earlier this year in the public service, and I think that has been very warmly received by public servants - they've enthusiastically adopted it."
He also suggested the Government is considering new taxes to get people to change their behaviour when it comes to the environment.
The Climate Action Minister said: "It's no secret that the plastic bag levy has been very successful in reducing the use of plastic bags - it's now not generating much revenue at all.
"We need to do it in other areas - like promoting the use of keep cups instead of disposables.
"There are areas where levies can bring home that message very clearly, and make the shift that we need."
Last year, the European Parliament voted in favour of measures that could lead to a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics across the bloc.
The move aims to ban items like plastic straws, cutlery, cups, plates and cotton buds in an attempt to tackle the amount of plastic waste in the sea.
It also aims to put more of the clean-up burden on the companies that produce the plastic products and packaging - and calls for a reduction in single-use plastic containers for food and drink.
Food waste
The new waste strategy is being put together with the aim of cutting the country's dependence on landfill by 60%.
Shane Colgan from the EPA says a big priority is to also reduce the amount of food we waste.
He explained: "As a householder, you're probably throwing out something like €700 worth of food every year.
"Some of the things we are all throwing out are bread... bags of salad... We'd say to people to just spend a week looking at your food waste."
Sarah Miller CEO of the Rediscovery Centre, meanwhile, said we also need to get creative about re-using items:
