Environmental Data Centre on Waste

 

 

 

 

This graph shows the recycling target to be reached according to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC)

 

no later than 31 December 2008, between 55 and 80% by weight of packaging waste have to be recycled

 

 

 

 

 

 

This graph shows the recovery targets to be reached  according to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) :

 

no later than 31 December 2008, 60% as a minimum by weight of packaging waste have to be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery

 

 

 

Chart on recycling and recovery rates for packaging waste - data 2008

 

 

Direct link to the Data base on Packaging Waste

 

For your convenience the tables  according to  Commission Decison 2005/270/EC on Packaging are re-produced  (please click on the links below)

 

 

Table 1:
	Quantities of packaging waste generated in the Member State and recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery within or outside the Member State
Table 2:
	Quantities of packaging waste sent to other Member States or exported outside the Community for recovery or incineration at waste incineration plants with energy recovery
Table 3:
	Quantities of packaging waste generated in other Member States or imported from outside the Community and sent to the Member State for recovery or incineration at waste incineration plants with energy recovery

Packaging can have several main roles:

• to protect the product, especially during transit;

• to preserve the product;

• to contain the product, e.g, in the case of liquids;

• to provide information to the consumer regarding the product; and 
 to market the product. 

Packaging is commonly made of a variety of materials including paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, metal and glass.
 
Producer responsibility arrangements - that sometimes include deposit refund systems - are in place throughout Europe to increase packaging recycling and recovery rates. The success of recycling strategies is very much dependent on the functionality of secondary materials markets and the policy mechanisms used. Decoupling the growth in used packaging material from growth in GDP is given significance in waste strategies.

Recovery and recycling targets

In order to comply with the objectives of  the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC), Member States shall take the necessary measures to attain the following targets covering the whole of their territory:

 

(a) no later than 30 June 2001 between 50 % as a minimum and 65 % as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery;

 

(b) no later than 31 December 2008 60 % as a minimum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery;

 

(c) no later than 30 June 2001 between 25 % as a minimum and 45 % as a maximum by weight of the totality of packaging materials contained in packaging waste will be recycled with a minimum of  15 % by weight for each packaging material;

 

(d) no later than 31 December 2008 between 55 % as a minimum and 80 % as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recycled;

 

(e) no later than 31 December 2008 the following minimum recycling targets for materials contained in packaging waste will be attained:

 

(i) 60 % by weight for glass;

(ii) 60 % by weight for paper and board;

 (iii) 50 % by weight for metals;

 

(iv) 22,5 % by weight for plastics, counting exclusively material that is recycled back into plastics;

 

(v) 15 % by weight for wood.

 European Packaging Waste Management Systems

 

 Core set of indicators: CSI 017 – Generation and Recycling of Packaging Waste

 

 Paper and Cardboard – Recovery or Disposal? Review of Life Cycle Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis on the Recovery and Disposal of Paper and Cardboard

 

 Effectiveness of Packaging Waste Management Systems in Selected Countries: An EEA Pilot Study

 

• European Commission - DG Environment (Packaging waste)
• European Environment Agency - EIONET (Packaging waste)
• EUROPEN (European Organization for Packaging and the Environment)
• Pilot studies: Statistics on packaging waste
• Packaging Recovery Organisation Europe (PRO EUROPE)
• The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment
• Confederation of European Paper industries (CEPI)
• European Recovered Paper Association (ERPA)
• Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI)
• Forest-Based Industries (FBI)
• European Aluminium Association
• European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries
• European Plastic Films (EuPF)
• European Plastic Convertors (EuPC)
• Links to all plastic trade associations