Recycling Balance of Packaging: Successes and Failures

More and more packaging is highly recyclable and the statutory recycling targets are largely being met by the dual systems. However, there were also serious failures to meet the statutory quota targets in 2022. At a joint press conference in Berlin, Gunda Rachut, Director of the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR) and Bettina Rechenberg, Head of Division at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), explained the developments that can be observed and the challenges that exist after five years of the Packaging Act.

The dual systems had to achieve significantly higher recycling rates in 2022. The targets for the recycling of packaging made of paper, cardboard, tinplate, aluminum, and plastic were met or even exceeded. A good two-thirds (67.5 percent) of the second-largest fraction of plastic product packaging in terms of volume was returned to the recycling loop; the target is 63 percent. In comparison: in 2018, the rate was still well below 50 percent. “That’s a reason to celebrate”, says Rachut.

Rachut explains the fact that the recycling “must” for glass was missed by 8.6 percentage points due in part to the expansion of the one-way deposit, which diverts material from household collection. The deficit of 15.2 percentage points for beverage cartons is explained by “capacity bottlenecks in recycling plants” in the 2022 reporting year. These were partly due to the escalating energy costs at the time.

UBA expert Rechenberg calls for more glass collection containers to make separation easier for consumers. Consumers also have problems separating packaging made from several different materials. Too much packaging ends up in the paper garbage can by mistake because it is partly made of paper. She believes that further development of the recycling stream is urgently needed. If no technical possibilities are exploited in packaging design, composite packaging will have to be withdrawn from circulation, says Rechenberg. “There is still a great need for action here”, says Rachut, addressing the license service providers and their customers from industry and retail.

Composite Materials are Problematic

“We have already achieved significant milestones on the road to high-quality recycling. Recyclable solutions exist for most of the packaging on the market. In some areas, those involved are also working hard to develop plant technologies and capacities. Efficient cycles are essential to conserving resources”, says Rachut.

Based on forecasts by the Society for Packaging Market Research (GVM), Rachut points out that packaging consumption in Germany may have peaked at a good 8.1 million tons in the 2022 reporting year. For 2023, the GVM expects a volume of 7.9 million tons of product packaging subject to system participation, and only 7.6 million tons in 2024. The trend will be driven by restraint in consumption due to economic trends as well as the extended reusable and deposit obligation under the Packaging Act.

The consumption of paper, cardboard, and carton packaging is expected to fall by 7.6 percent in the forecast period, although online retail will continue to grow. The volume of lightweight packaging destined for yellow garbage cans and sacks is expected to fall by an average of 6.2 percent.

According to Rachut, the plastic product sleeves they contain will see the highest percentage losses. According to the ZSVR and the Federal Environment Agency, fiber-based composites, i.e. combinations of paper or cardboard with plastic, which are often classified as problematic in terms of recycling, will benefit from the market trend to the detriment of plastic as a packaging material.

Completely or Not at All Recyclable

Packaging material or design of which does not allow for recycling can still be seen on the market. Rachut explains: “What is striking is the large gap between the highly recyclable packaging and other packaging – this is either only slightly recyclable or not recyclable at all. Since 2018, it has been possible to transparently identify which packaging solutions cannot be recycled to a high standard. There are sufficient alternatives for this packaging. Why these are not used is unclear.” The group of packaging collected by the systems for which there is no quota requirement, for example packaging made of bamboo, wood, jute, ceramic, or cork, is not recycled in practice. They are, therefore, particularly problematic.