If the goal is to reduce the amount packaging It can be said that the fault has occurred at the moment produced (the source of plastic pollution). The European Union (EU) produced 188.7 kilograms of packaging waste per person in 2021; This is 10.8 kilos more per person than the previous year. Biggest increase in 10 yearsCommunity statistics office Eurostat reported this Thursday.
The EU produced a total of 84 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2021; 40.3% of these are paper and cardboard, 19% are plastic, 18.5% are glass, 17.1% are wood and 4.9% are metal.
Among the reasons for this increase, Eurostat points out that packaging is “almost everywhere” from shopping packages. online even takeaway coffee cups.
Plastics increased by 4%
Among the different types of containers commonly used, plastic ones are the most harmful to the environment. In this situation, The production of plastic packaging waste, which is an average of 35.9 kg per citizen in the EU, has increased by 4% Based on 2020.
But it is also a The increase in the amount recycled per person is 1.4 kg more, This represents an increase of 9.5% compared to the previous year.
Between 2011 and 2021, the amount of plastic packaging waste generated per person increased by 26.7% (7.6 kg more per person)but the amount recycled also increased by 38.1% (3.9 kg per person).
Moreover, Eurostat explains that the recycling rate increased again in 2021 (39.7%) after falling to 37.6% in 2020.
At most, only half of the plastic is recycled.
In any case, plastic persists as a very long-lasting waste in the environment. clearly inadequate recycling ratesThis only guarantees the problem will escalate. By country, in 2021 Slovenia (50%), Belgium (49.2%) and the Netherlands (48.9%) recycled half or almost half of the plastic packaging waste produced.
In Spain, 45.7% of plastic packaging waste was recycled.
By contrast, in Malta (20.5%), France (23.1%) and Sweden (23.8%), less than a quarter of plastic waste was recycled.
Different organizations insistently demand You need to apply Return, Deposit and Refund Service (SDDR) for packaging to guarantee its recovery and avoid large amounts of waste produced by the current recycling container system.
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Contact address of the environmental department:krisclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.