Verpackungsmuell
Packaging waste
Single-use packaging on the rise
According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation
, 78 million tons of plastic packaging material are produced worldwide every year. A third of these end up as waste in the environment. 40% of the packaging material is disposed of in landfills, 14% is used in waste incineration plants to generate energy. Only 2% is recycled without loss of quality.
Source: Ellen McArthur Foundation, The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics, infographics, 2016
Germany is no exception
While Germany still had 15.6 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste in 1991, in 2015 it was already 18.2 million tonnes. According to the German Environment Agency,
this increase is above all due to changes in living conditions and the associated consumption and nutrition patterns. The number of one- and two-person households is increasing where smaller portions and/or pre-portioned units are purchased. This increases the amount of packaging required.
How can the impact of the ever-increasing flood of plastic packaging on the environment be reduced, what are the legal requirements and what can each individual do? The German Environment Agency
is looking for answers.
On the occasion of the World Recycling Day 2018, the summit took place German Environment Agency
the current values for recycling in Germany together.