LIFE Project: Verification of the closed loop of recycled and reused polyolefin boxes, drums, and cans

In Europe, around 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated each year (Plastics Europe, 2018). Only 9% of this plastic waste is recycled. Another 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfills, and 22% escapes waste management systems altogether (e.g., through illegal dumping), especially in poorer countries (Global Plastics Outlook. OECD, 2022). In the EU, the reuse and recycling potential of plastic waste remains largely untapped compared to other materials such as paper or glass. In recent years, the potential of the EU plastics recycling sector has been held back by low raw material prices and uncertainties about the market prospects and associated profitability of recycled plastic materials. At the European level, packaging represents by far the largest end-use market for plastic materials, accounting for 39.6% of total plastic demand in Europe.

Plastic packaging is widely used in today's agricultural sector and throughout the food value chain. In 2019, the agricultural sector used 12.5 million tons of plastic products in plant and animal production and 37.3 million tons in food packaging. Although the total volume of plastic packaging waste sent for recycling increased by more than 92% between 2006 and 2018, 3.3 million tons of plastic packaging waste still ends up in landfills. In Spain, in the 1990s, 90% of fruit and vegetable crates were made of wood; currently, 60% of crates are made of plastic. In the coming years, the use of plastic packaging in Spain is expected to increase in the commercial distribution, storage, and preservation of fruits and vegetables.