The amount of plastics packaging consumption is growing while the quantity of plastics waste going into landfill is decreasing, according to a new report.
A study by the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe, based in Brussels, found that the demand for plastics in Western Europe increased by 6% between 2000 and 2002 to 38 123 000, with the main growth occurring last year. Packaging accounts for the largest use of plastics, accounting for over 38% of the market.
Inroads are being made into the drive to reduce the amount of plastics packaging waste being lost to landfill. This has been met with an 11% increase in tonnage terms over the same two-year period of plastics packaging that is recovered through mechanical recycling, feedstock and energy recovery.
The report can be downloaded from the APME website: www.apme.org