Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 39

recycling
Will Europe
hit its
recycling
goals on
schedule?
Comprehensive legislation and the ambitious targets, included within the Single Use
Plastics Directive or the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive for instance, have
set the vision which Europe strives to achieve by 2025. The positive eff ects of these
measures are already visible today. Nevertheless, will the EU Member States and the
industry be on time to meet these targets? By Antonino Furfari.
Antonino Furfari
State of the aff airs
In 2019, plastic packaging
waste recycling rates in Europe
stood at 41%, an apparent
indication that the Member
States are well on track
to achieve the set target of
50% by 2025. However, a new
measurement method, aimed
at harmonising the calculation
practices across the EU,
is set to drive this rate down
to around 30% - introducing
a new challenge to overcome.
Nonetheless, plastics recycling
has been steadily rising
over the past two decades,
growing by more than 60% in
the past 5 years alone. Back
in 1996, the total installed recycling
capacity was estimated
at roughly 200.000 tonnes.
Today, it is over 9.6 million
tonnes.
Investments in plastics recycling
in 2020 came to €1.5bn,
translating into 1.1Mt additional
installed capacity compared
to 2019, and bringing the total
amount of investment in the
sector since 2017 to €4.9bn.
The good news
Policy - a key driver for plastics
circularity
The evidence of how setting
EU-wide targets can stimulate
the market confirms how
a strong legislative framework
can accelerate circular plastics
production and challenge the
status quo of waste management
practices. The targets
set by the SUP Directive have
already boosted the uptake of
rPET. Other developments include
the wide roll-out of deposit
return systems, as well
as EU accredited certification
continued on page 40
September/October 2022
39

Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022

Contents
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - Cover1
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - Cover2
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - Contents
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 4
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 5
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 6
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 7
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 8
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 9
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 10
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 11
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 12
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 13
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 14
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 15
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 16
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 17
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 18
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 19
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 20
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 21
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 22
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 23
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 24
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 25
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 26
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 27
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 28
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 29
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 30
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 31
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 32
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 33
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 34
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 35
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 36
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 37
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 38
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 39
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 40
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 41
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 42
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 43
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 44
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 45
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 46
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - Cover3
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - Cover4
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