Eurostat has released new data showing that every EU citizen generated an average of 35.3 kg of plastic packaging waste in 2023 — a steady rise compared to previous years.

According to Eurostat, plastic packaging waste in the European Union reached 35.3 kg per person in 2023, marking a new record.
While Northern Europe and Germany still lead in separate collection rates, the report shows that actual recycling levels are stagnating, especially in Eastern Europe.
Eurostat calls for stronger investments in sorting infrastructure and the acceleration of Deposit Return Systems (DRS) similar to the model implemented in Romania by RetuRO.