site.btaOver 40% of EU Plastic Packaging Waste Recycled in 2019, Bulgaria Recycles 59% in 2018

Brussels, October 27 (BTA) - In 2019, a total of 41 per cent of plastic packaging waste was recycled in the EU. Nine EU Member States have recycled more than half of the plastic packaging waste generated: Lithuania (70 per cent), Czechia (61 per cent), Bulgaria (59 per cent, 2018 data), the Netherlands (57 per cent), Sweden and Slovakia (both 53 per cent), Spain (52 per cent), Cyprus (51 per cent) and Slovenia (50 per cent), Eurostat said here on Wednesday.

On the contrary, less than one-third of plastic packaging waste was recycled in Malta (11 per cent, 2018 data), France (27 per cent), Ireland (28 per cent), Austria (31 per cent), Poland (32 per cent) and Hungary (33 per cent).

In 2019, each person living in the European Union (EU) generated on average 34.4 kg of plastic packaging waste, out of which 14.1 kg was recycled.

Between 2009 and 2019, the volume of plastic packaging waste generated per capita in the EU increased by 24 per cent (+6.7 kg). The volume of recycled plastic packaging waste increased rapidly by 50 per cent (+4.7 kg) over the same period of time. Since 2009, the amount of plastic packaging that wasn't recycled has increased by two kilograms per capita due to the greater increase in the absolute value of plastic packaging waste generated. DT/KK