Bruna Alves
Research lead covering environment and sustainability
Recycling in Europe - statistics & facts
The European Union has set the goal of achieving a circular economy by 2050, and waste recycling is a big part of its strategy. After years of development through binding policies and directives, European countries currently have some of the best recycling rates worldwide. However, with recycling rates stagnating – and in some cases even reversing – there is growing skepticism on whether the EU is doing enough to reach its target.
Recycling rates also vary by material and source. Roughly 90 percent of all construction and demolition waste is recycled in the EU. Meanwhile, packaging recycling rates ranged from 82 percent for paper and cardboard, to just 41 percent for plastic packaging. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, in particular, represent a key area of focus within the plastic packaging recycling sector. In 2023, 13 European countries had Deposit Refund Schemes (DRS) for the collection of PET bottles, and another eight had already adopted legislation. In general, countries with implemented DRS have noticeably higher PET collection rates than those without.
Recycling rates in the European Union
The average recycling rate of municipal waste in the EU recently registered the first year-over-year decrease since the turn of the century, reaching 48.6 percent in 2022. That represented around 153 kilograms of waste recycled per person. Recycling rates vary widely depending on the country. In 2022, Germany had the highest municipal waste recycling rate in the EU, just shy of 70 percent. That year, six EU Member States had a recycling rate above 50 percent. Although recycling rates within the region have increased considerably over the past decade, three countries still had recycling rates below 15 percent.Recycling rates also vary by material and source. Roughly 90 percent of all construction and demolition waste is recycled in the EU. Meanwhile, packaging recycling rates ranged from 82 percent for paper and cardboard, to just 41 percent for plastic packaging. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, in particular, represent a key area of focus within the plastic packaging recycling sector. In 2023, 13 European countries had Deposit Refund Schemes (DRS) for the collection of PET bottles, and another eight had already adopted legislation. In general, countries with implemented DRS have noticeably higher PET collection rates than those without.
EU recycling targets
As part of the goal of reaching a zero-waste, circular economy by 2050, the EU has set a series of recycling targets for the coming decades. Under the European Commission's Waste Framework Directive, Member States are now legally bound to recycle at least 55 percent of municipal waste by 2025, with the target rising to 65 percent by 2035. Meanwhile, as part of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, 70 percent of all packaging waste should be recycled by 2030, including 55 percent of plastic packaging waste. However, with the circular material use rate in the EU estimated at just 11.5 percent in 2022, and recycling rates stabilizing in recent years, the EU still has a long road ahead towards its 2050 target.
