The transformation towards a closed circular economy in Europe is gaining momentum. According to the March 2024 report ‘Plastics in a circular economy: Analysis of the Situation in Europe’ prepared by the PlasticsEurope Polska Foundation, significant progress is evident in the recycling and reuse of plastics.
Since 2018, the use of recyclates from post-consumer waste has increased by an impressive 70%, reaching 6.8 million tonnes in 2022. Circular plastics now account for 13.5% of all materials used in the manufacture of products, showing that more and more companies are committed to sustainability.
Recycling levels
The recycling rate of plastics reached 26.9% in 2022, meaning that 8.7 million tonnes of waste were recycled. This is the first time in history that more plastic waste has been recycled than landfilled, a significant step towards a closed-loop economy.
Separate Collection and its Importance
The report highlights that 32.3 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste was collected in 2022, of which 50.7% was collected separately. Recycling of selectively collected waste is as much as 13 times higher than waste from mixed streams. This clearly shows the importance of separate collection in the recycling process.
Challenges and Need for Investment
Despite significant progress, the report points to challenges that we still need to address. The incineration of waste plastics has increased by more than 15 percent since 2018, and around 25 percent of waste still ends up in landfills. Further investment in sorting and recycling technologies is needed to meet the growing demand for recycled plastics.
Plastics Production and Consumption
Global plastics production reached 400.3 million tonnes in 2022. In Europe, 10.4 million tonnes of circular plastics were recycled, representing 19.2% of all plastics recycled. The sectors with the highest use of recyclates are agriculture and horticulture (37.5%), construction (22.7%) and packaging (9.7%).
Summary
Europe is making significant progress towards a circular economy, but there are still many challenges ahead. Selective collection, investment in recycling and appropriate policies are key to further development. By continuing to do so, we can expect further positive developments in the coming years.
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