The non-profit Brussels-based organisation also revealed yesterday (September 1) that around 56% of PET containers in circulation were collected for reclamation and recycling – equating to around 1.64 million tonnes.
This represents an increase on the 2012 figures, according to Petcore Europe, when the PET bottle recycling rate was 52% – around 60 billion bottles – equating to around 1.68 million tonnes.
The findings come despite claims from partner organisation PRE (Plastics Recyclers Europe) – whose members make up around 80% of the plastics recycling capacity across the EU – in February 2013 that PET bottle collections across Europe had ‘stagnated’ at around 50% due to ‘persistent structural market failures’ (see letsrecycle.com story).
Petcore chairman, Roberto Bertaggia, said: “The demand for PET as the packaging material of choice continues to grow, penetrating new markets with innovative applications. The extraordinary ability of PET to be recycled and reused into a wide variety of end uses is part of this success story and is helping towards the movement to a circular economy in Europe.”
However, Mr Bertaggia said that while he was “thrilled” with the figures, he believed there was still a “huge disparity in collection rates amongst the Member States, and all stakeholders need to work together to align the collection processes to deliver the increased recycling objectives recently announced by the European Commission.”
Casper van den Dungen, PET chairman at plastics recycling association PRE (Plastics Recyclers Europe) and a board member of Petcore Europe also said that “the overall collection of PET bottles in Europe at 1.64Mt represents a 7% increase on last year”, adding that “we still have considerable spare recycling capacity to enable us to recycle more”.
Mr van den Dungen said: “However one of the factors that will reduce our ability to utilise our available spare capacity is the increasing complexity of some collected baled bottles. Improved and standardised collection and sorting processes would help address this situation.”
The findings come in a report – ‘Post Consumer PET Recycling in Europe 2013 and Prospects to 2018’ – prepared for Petcore Europe by PCI PET Packaging Resin & Recycling Ltd. The report will be presented during the PET Network Day 2014 conference in Brussels on October 9 2014.
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