Europe's Plastics Recycling Capacity Witnessed Tremendous Expansion

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  The plastics recycling capacity in European region witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years, said Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE). According to the trade organization, the installed capacity for recycling flexible polyethylene (PE) has been steadily on the rise in the region.

The study conducted by PRE found that the installed capacity has grown significantly from 1.5 million tonnes (Mt) per year in 2015 to 2.3 Mt during the previous year. Incidentally, Europe recycles approximately one-third of its flexible PE plastics waste. Upon analysis of nearly 174 plastics recyclers across the entire European region, the study found that five countries- Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland and France account for nearly two-thirds of the installed recycling capacity in the region. Spain had the largest capacity, housing nearly 18% of the total regional capacity.

The survey also found that commercial and retailer waste is the key source of flexible PE plastic waste. It accounted for 43% of the total source, followed by production waste (23%), agricultural waste (17%) and household packaging (13%).

ALSo READ: Leading Associations Join Hands to Design Plastics Recycling Testing Protocols

According to Ton Emans, President, PRE, the plastics recycling sector has been very dynamic over the past few years, which itself is a clear indication that the industry has contributed in a big way towards enhancing the circularity of plastics. The tough import restrictions announced by Chinese administration has resulted in fresh investments in sorting and recycling plants. For instance, the Irish Beauparc Utilities had recently announced investment of €15 million to construct a new plastics recycling facility in the UK, which in turn will process used plastic films to make new plastic products.

However, Emans reminded that much more effort is still needed in the designing phase of products so as to ensure that it completely complies with the standard sustainability and recyclability specifications.