European Union | The EU's 25 member states plus Norway and Switzerland recovered half of all plastics waste in 2006, up three percentage points on the previous year, reports industry body PlasticsEurope in its latest annual report.
The trade body heralds the 50% recovery rate as a landmark underpinned by strong growth in recycling and energy recovery. Recycling rates increased by 9% to nearly a fifth in 2006, compared to a six per cent increase a year earlier. Mechanical recycling nearly doubled its rate of increase to 18%.
Energy recovery rates showed steady growth, increasing by four per cent to over 30 per cent of all waste. Despite an increase in total plastics waste in 2006, the quantity going to landfill continued to decline.
Seven countries – Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium – recovered more than 80 per cent of their plastics waste. Those with lower recovery waste are improving slowly however – half of all EU member states still recovered less than 30%.
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