In Europe, plastic production reached 58.8 million tonnes (Mt) in 2022, of which approximately 21 Mt were destined for the packaging sector, according to Plastics Europe's report The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis 2024

Alejandro Aragón, Alejandro Guillem y Jesús Palenzuela - ITENE

 

This makes packaging the largest application market for plastics, but also one of the main sources of post-consumer plastic waste. This is mainly due to packaging’s shorter lifespan compared to other sectors such as agriculture or construction.

 

 

Currently, of the 32.3 Mt of plastic waste collected, only 26.9% of post-consumer plastic waste is effectively recycled, while around 49.6% is incinerated and 23.5% ends up in landfills. Focusing on the packaging sector, the recycling rate is slightly higher at 37.8%, thanks to the implementation of specific collection, sorting and recycling schemes.

 

However, the use of recycled plastics in packaging applications remains limited, especially in food or cosmetic packaging due to...READING MORE AT https://www.infopack.es/revista/325/index60.html