From online shopping packages to coffee cups, packaging is almost everywhere. The EU generated 188.7 kg of packaging waste per inhabitant, 10.8 kg more per person than in 2020, marking the highest increase in the last 10 years and nearly 32 kg more than in 2011.

84 million tons

In total, the EU generated 84 million tons of packaging waste, of which 40.3% was paper and cardboard. Plastic accounted for 19.0%, glass 18.5%, wood 17.1%, and metal 4.9%.

For example, in 2021, each person living in the EU generated an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste. Of these, 14.2 kg were recycled.

Compared to 2020, both the generation of plastic packaging waste and recycling increased: production increased by 1.4 kg per inhabitant (+4.0%), and recycling by +1.2 kg per inhabitant (+9.5%).

Between 2011 and 2021, the per capita quantity of plastic packaging waste generated increased by 26.7% (+7.6 kg per capita).

The recycled quantity of plastic packaging waste increased by 38.1% during the same period (+3.9 kg per capita).

These statistics come from the packaging waste data published today by Eurostat. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed article on Statistics Explained.

The plastic packaging recycling rate up to 39.7%

As a result of stricter rules implemented in 2020 for member states to report recycling, the recycling rate dropped from 41.1% in 2019 to 37.6% in 2020. In 2021, the recycling rate returned to an upward trajectory, reaching 39.7%.

In 2021, Slovenia (50.0%), Belgium (49.2%), and the Netherlands (48.9%) recycled half or nearly half of the generated plastic packaging waste.

In contrast, less than a quarter of plastic packaging waste was recycled in Malta (20.5%), France (23.1%), and Sweden (23.8%).