On average, each inhabitant of the EU produced 34.6 kg of such plastic waste, of which 13 kg were recycled.
According to Eurostat data , from 2010 to 2020, the volume of used plastic packaging per person increased by 23% (+6.5 kg), while the volume of their recycling increased by 32% (+3.2 kg).
Despite this improvement, the amount of non-recycled plastic packaging has increased by 3.4 kg per person since 2010 due to an increase in the absolute amount of such waste.
In 2020, stricter recycling reporting rules came into force in the EU, in particular the creation of a single calculation estimate for recycling and a stricter accounting of types of packaging materials. Because of this, a decrease in processing by 3% was recorded (from 41% in 2019 to 38% in 2020).
The Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria and Cyprus have recycled more than 50% of used plastic packaging. Less than one third of waste is recycled in Malta, France, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Poland and Austria.
Back in 2019, a directive was approved , according to which, by 2021, European countries should stop using single-use plastic: including cotton swabs, straws, disposable “mixers” and cutlery. The legislation also stipulates that EU member states must ensure that plastic bottles are 90% recycled by 2029, and environmental labeling of cigarettes with plastic filters on the street must be mandatory, as for other products such as plastic cups. or sanitary napkins.
In 2018, according to the European Commission , more than 80% of marine litter consisted of plastic.
Recall that from February 1, Ukraine introduced the minimum retail prices for plastic bags – from 2 to 3 hryvnia. The government expects that this will limit the circulation of plastic bags and improve the environmental situation in the country. According to expert estimates, every Ukrainian uses almost 500 plastic bags every year, while in the EU this figure is an average of 90. Out of 40,000 tons of plastic in Ukraine, only 6% is recycled. In Europe, the recycling rate is 70%.