Belgium leads as EU plastic packaging recycling tops 42%

The figure marks a continued upward trend from 2013, when the recycling rate stood at 38.2%.

Belgium recorded the highest recycling rate for plastic packaging at 59.5%, closely followed by Latvia (59.2%) and Slovakia (54.1%).

At the other end of the scale, Hungary reported the lowest rate at 23.0%, with France (25.7%) and Austria (26.9%) also falling significantly below the EU average.

The figures include packaging waste generated by all the economy, including households, businesses and government.

Progress towards 2030 packaging waste goals

Under Article 6 of the Packaging Waste Directive, the EU has set recycling targets for 2030 requiring a minimum of 70% of all packaging waste to be recycled.

Within this overall target, specific material-based targets include 55% for plastics, 85% for paper and cardboard, and 75% for glass.

In 2023, seven EU countries had already achieved the overall 70% packaging waste recycling goal. However, four Member States reported overall packaging recycling rates below 50%.

Packaging waste generation decreases slightly

A total of 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU in 2023, equating to 177.8 kg per inhabitant.

While this represents a modest decline of 8.7 kg per capita compared with 2022, it remains 21.2 kg higher than in 2013.

Paper and cardboard accounted for the largest share of packaging waste (40.4%), followed by plastics (19.8%), glass (18.8%), wood (15.8%), and metals (4.9%). Other materials made up just 0.2%.

Plastic bag consumption continues to fall

Consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags (LPCBs) has continued to decline under the EU’s Plastic Bags Directive, which seeks to limit usage to fewer than 40 per inhabitant by 2025.

The Directive has encouraged retailers to promote reusable alternatives with thicker, more durable designs.

Belgium also recorded the lowest per capita use of plastic bags in 2023, at just four bags per person, followed by Poland (seven) and Portugal (14).

However, some Member States remain far above the upcoming target. Latvia, for example, recorded 209 bags per inhabitant in 2023, highlighting the uneven progress across Europe.