According to the latest figures published by Eurostat, the UK showed little improvement on the 2010 figure of 60.7% and dropped from 14th place to 17th out of the 27 EU countries. This means it remained behind the EU average packaging recycling rate which increased from 63.6% in 2010 to 63.6% in 2011.
Belgium sits at the top of the table for 2011 with a packaging recycling rate of 80.2% followed by the Netherlands and Germany with 71.9% and 71.8%, respectively. At the bottom of the table was Poland and Malta, with recycling rates of 41.2% and 42.3%, respectively.
The UK also came in 17th place in terms of packaging recovery rates which was 67.1% in 2011, down from 67.3% in 2010. Germany was the leader for recovery rates though, with 97.4% of packaging waste recovered or incinerated closely followed by Belgium with 96.9% and the Netherlands with 95.2%. The EU average for recovery was 77.3%.
Demand
Commenting on the figures, Ian Andrews, senior market trader at the Environment Exchange, said the flat recycling targets at the time would have not provided the drive needed to push up recycling rates. The low PRN prices would have also contributed to this.
Mr Andrews said: The figures will have improved since then. As far as the PRN system is concerned, during that period we had a hold on targets as they werent being increased.
When we were going through that period we were in the grips of recession and the general policy decision made between governments was to ease the burden on businesses by not pushing up recycling rates. Essentially the PRN system provided no incentive because there was no additional demand.
He added that the higher packaging recycling targets (see letsrecycle.com story) would provide increased incentives for recycling packaging, meaning the figures should be higher in 2012 and 2013.
The average price of a plastic PRN bought on the spot market in 2010 was 2.53. This rose to 4.68 in 2011 and 13.98 in 2012. It has since increased further with an average of 47 for 2013 so far.
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