Eurostat: over 40% of plastic packaging recycled in Europe. Record-breaking numbers in Lithuania, Malta last on the list. Italy above EU average

It has been estimated that (based on the latest available full figures) “41.5% of plastic packaging waste was recycled” in the European Union in 2018. This has been stated by Eurostat, which adds: “In seven EU member countries, over a half of plastic packaging waste has been recycled”. In 2018, the highest recycling rate for plastic packaging was the one recorded in Lithuania (69.3%), followed by Slovenia (60.4%, 2017 figures), Bulgaria (59.2%), Czech Republic (57.0%), Cyprus (54.3%), Slovakia (51.4%) and Spain (50.7%). Conversely, less than a third of plastic packaging waste was recycled in Malta (19.2%, 2017 figures), in France (26.9%), Hungary (30.0%), Ireland (31.0%), Finland (31.1%), Denmark (31.5 %), Austria (31.9%) and Luxembourg (32.3%). Italy, with a recycling rate of over 40%, stands above the EU average.

Valentina Bombelli