The Plastics Recycling Industry Figures 2024 report found that recycling facilities equivalent to around 300 kilotonnes of annual capacity were forced to close over the course of last year – the largest contraction ever recorded by the association.
Preliminary figures for 2025 point to a deeper crisis, with facility closures up by 50%, resulting in the loss of nearly one million tonnes of recycling capacity across Europe in just three years.
The industry organisation warned in August 2025 that the sector is facing “imminent collapse”.
Declining output and lost capacity
Europe’s total installed plastics recycling capacity stood at 13.5 million tonnes in 2024, a figure that PRE explained remained “well below” the 6% annual growth required to meet the targets outlined under the forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The industry organisation warned that recyclers continue to face market pressures including high production and energy costs, falling demand and a surge in low-priced, unregulated plastic imports from outside the region.
Polyolefin films and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were identified as the most severely affected materials, each representing around 25% of total capacity closures between 2023 and 2024.
The Netherlands and the United Kingdom together accounted for half of the total capacity lost.
UK closures have continued in 2025, including the closure of Viridor’s Rochester facility, Biffa’s Sunderland facility, and Vanden’s Whittlesey plant.
For the first time in over a decade, both the volume of input material processed and the recyclates produced in Europe fell year-on-year, according to the report.
Total recyclate production declined from 7.7 million tonnes in 2023 to approximately 7.5 million tonnes in 2024, reflecting lower demand, reduced utilisation rates and widespread facility closures.
This downturn was mirrored in the sector’s financial performance. Industry turnover fell for the second consecutive year, down from €9.1 billion in 2023 to €8.6 billion in 2024, representing a 5.5% annual decline.
Continued call for action
PRE has urged policymakers to introduce a package of “priority actions” to stabilise the market, including:
- Establishing fair and enforceable market regulations across the EU
- Implementing stronger controls on imports of non-compliant recycled plastics
- Reducing energy and production costs for recyclers
- Harmonising reporting and certification systems through third-party verification
Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe, commented: “Now is the time to stand united for the sector – not only to protect jobs and businesses at risk, but to safeguard Europe’s environmental and technological progress, ensuring a sustainable future for all.
“We call on the EU institutions and national policymakers to act decisively and implement supportive measures to preserve the sector and Europe’s circular economy.”
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