The IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V. has published new figures on the recyclability of household plastic packaging. According to the figures, around 82 per cent of this packaging, including beverage bottles with a deposit, was recyclable or reusable in 2023.
This represents a significant increase compared to 2016, when the figure was 75 per cent. Contributing to the progress are, among other things Increased use of mono-material composite solutions and innovative barrier technologies. At the same time, structural changes, such as the decline in market volumes for PET beverage bottles, influenced the overall assessment. The volume of non-recyclable packaging was reduced from 521 kilotonnes in 2016 to 355 kilotonnes in 2023.
The IK pursues the goal, at least 90 per cent of all plastic packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 to shape the future. However, challenges remain. A lack of recycling paths, particularly for PET trays and other niche plastics, as well as material combinations and a lack of sortability are currently the biggest obstacles.
According to the IK, more than 80 per cent of plastic packaging already fulfils the minimum design-for-recycling requirements of the new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), which will apply from 2030. However, it will only be possible to make definitive statements once the corresponding EU criteria have been finalised. The current survey shows that the industry is on a is well on the way to achieving the sustainability targets it has set itself.
Source: IK
