IK: Recycling of Plastic Packaging in Europe on the Rise – Germany Among the Leading Countries

The recycling of plastic packaging in Europe continued to increase in 2023. According to the latest Eurostat data, many EU member states recorded higher recycling rates, albeit to varying degrees. Germany remains among the European leaders with a rate of 52 percent. The top positions are held by Belgium and Latvia, each achieving nearly 60 percent.

A positive trend can also be observed in Southern Europe: Spain and Greece increased their recycling rates by five percentage points compared to the previous year, placing them in the European mid-range. On average, across all 27 EU member states, the recycling rate rose slightly to 42 percent.

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However, countries such as France, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland remain well below the EU average. These nations risk missing the EU target of a 50 percent recycling rate by 2025. The target is set to rise to 55 percent by 2030. The calculation is based on the ratio of recycled plastic weight—after deducting process-related losses—to the total amount of packaging waste generated.

IK Managing Director Dr. Isabell Schmidt emphasized that despite positive developments, too little plastic is still being recycled across Europe. In particular, countries with low recycling rates need to invest more heavily in their waste management infrastructure and end the landfilling of plastic waste. Only then can member states create the conditions necessary for the industry to meet its recycled content targets by 2030.

Schmidt also pointed to the existing potential: in Germany, the recyclability of plastic packaging has now reached around 80 percent. She called on the European Commission to use the current figures as an incentive for targeted investment measures in the recycling sector.

To promote the early use of recyclates, IK proposes a so-called “accumulation phase.” Companies that voluntarily use recycled materials in plastic packaging before 2030 should be able to build up credit toward meeting the mandatory quotas that take effect in 2030. This regulation is intended to increase short-term demand for recyclates and make investments in recycling more economically attractive.

More information:
kunststoffverpackungen.de, newsroom.kunststoffverpackungen.de

IK - Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., Bad Homburg, Germany

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