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Recovery of plastics including mechanical recycling and energy recovery in Europe has crossed the level of 50%
for the first time in 2006. This marks a 3% increase in the level as compared with the recovery figures for 2005.
Half of all post-consumer plastics that ended up in waste was recovered – recycling accounted for
19% while energy recovery used 30.3%.
Driven by increasing raw material prices as well as improved collection and sorting technology, mechanical recycling
rates improved by 18% over 2005. Capacity for closed loop recycling is being installed in several countries in Europe.
Increased recycling of window profiles has boosted the traditional streams of bottle and film. An increase of 9% in
energy recovery over 2005 figures reflects a requirement of longer lead times. This indicates that energy recovery is
less responsive to market drivers.
Seven countries in Europe (Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands and Belgium), recovered at
least 80% of their used plastics in 2006. In contrast, half of EU member states recover less than 30%.
Demand for
plastics in Europe (represented by the EU’s 25 member states plus Norway and Switzerland) was up 4% in 2006 to a total
of 49.5 mln tons, the rate of growth exceeding GDP by 50%. This higher consumption level also increased the volume of
post-consumer waste by 4% (equivalent to one mln tons) but the strong increase in recovery levels meant the quantity
going to landfills decreased by 1%.
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