NEWS


Picking apart plastic packaging in the EU


The newly-published EU Packaging Waste Outlook covering 2023 highlights Europe’s steady progress toward sustainability with increased demand for advanced packaging solutions in end-user industries like food and beverages and pharmaceu- tical companies. New figures reveal that in


2023, 79.7 m tonnes of packaging waste were generated in EU member states, or 177.8 kg per inhabitant, with an overall recycling rate of 67.5%, nearing the EU’s 2030 target of 70%. While this marks a reduction of 8.7 kg per capita compared with 2022, the figure remains 21.2 kg higher than in 2013. An average of 35.3 kg of plastic packaging waste was generated in 2023 for each person living in the EU. Of this, 14.8 kg was


recycled with the amount of generated plastic waste decreasing by 1.0 kg compared with 2022 and the amount recycled


increasing by 0.1 kg. Figures show that between 2013 and 2023, the amount of plastic packaging waste generated increased by 6.4 kg per capita, while the amount recycled increased by 3.8 kg. 42.1% was recycled, a 38.2% increase compared with 2013. Belgium record- ed the highest recycling rate among member states at 59.5%, followed by Latvia (59.2%) and Slovakia (54.1%). In contrast, the lowest rates were recorded in Hungary (23.0%), France (25.7%), and Austria (26.9%). Overall, while packaging


waste generation peaked in 2021 and declined thereaf- ter, recycling volumes remained relatively stable, reflecting ongoing efforts toward sustainability and circular economy goals. To date, seven countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Czechia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Spain) have met or exceeded the EU’s 2030 target of recycling more than 70% of their packaging waste, while overall the packaging waste manage- ment market is set to grow from €34.5bn in 2025 to €47bn in 2034. � https://ec.europa.eu


Wipa files for


insolvency


Plastics recycling technol- ogy company Wipa has filed for insolvency. The Münster District Court in Germany has appointed attorney Dr Ria Brüninghoff from Pluta Rechtsanwalts as the preliminary insol- vency administrator, with the primary aim being to stabilise business opera- tions by bringing in investors. In a statement, it was


reported that talks with potential interested parties had been planned, with production currently continuing without restrictions and salaries secured through insol- vency payments. The reasons for the filing include the weak market environment in the mechanical engineering sector, a decline in incoming orders, and increased costs. In addition, new equipment business has been lower than expected. � www.wipa-germany.de � www.pluta.net


Evonik teams with Schneider on automation


Schneider Electric and Evonik have partnered to automate a thermoplastic processing plant at Evonik’s site in Essen Goldschmidt, Germany, in order to enhance the efficiency of mechani- cal recycling processes and improve the quality of recyclates. Evonik brings expertise in high-performance addi- tives and a strong focus on circularity, while Schneider contributes process automation and digitalisation.


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


“Our partnership with Schneider Electric highlights how digitalisation and chemistry enable circularity in plastics,” said Patrick Glöckner, Head of the recently announced Next Markets Program at Evonik. “Combining Schnei- der Electric’s process automation with our innovative additives takes thermo- plastic processing to the next level.” The specific aim of the new partner- ship is to implement a data-driven


strategy to analyse performance, reduce manual work, and streamline separate calculation steps. Long-term objectives include leveraging laboratory experi- ences, improving the positioning of existing solutions supported by quanti- fied data, decreasing time to market for new additive developments, and enhancing scalability. � www.evonik.com � www.se.com


November/December 2025 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 5


IMAGE: TOMRA


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