Sustainable Packaging Statistics 2026: Waste, Recycling and Plastic Tax Data
The EU generated 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2024, or 181.0 kg per person, and recycled 67.0% of it, according to Eurostat. That is 3.0 points short of the 2030 target of 70%. Plastic is the weak spot. The EU recycled 42.4% of plastic packaging, against 85.3% for paper and cardboard. The UK recycled 70.5% of its packaging in 2025, provisional Defra figures show. The latest US figure is 53.9%, from 2018. Worldwide, packaging made up 40% of plastic waste in 2019, according to the OECD.
Key statistics
- The EU recycled 67.0% of its packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- The EU recycled 42.4% of its plastic packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- The EU packaging recycling rate was 3.0 percentage points short of the 2030 target of 70% in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
- The UK recycled 70.5% of its packaging waste in 2025, according to provisional Defra figures.
- Packaging made up 40% of the world's plastic waste in 2019, according to the OECD.
Packaging waste statistics by country
Eurostat collects packaging waste data from every EU country under the Packaging Waste Directive. The latest year is 2024, published in October 2026.
The EU generated 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2024. Each person produced 181.0 kg, up 3.2 kg on 2023. Over the longer run the trend is up. Packaging waste per person rose 9.4% between 2015 and 2024.
Recycling has not kept pace. The EU recycled 67.0% of its packaging waste in 2024, slightly below 67.4% in 2023. Six countries already beat the 2030 target of 70%, led by Belgium at 83.2%. Malta recycled 44.5%, a gap of 38.7 points to Belgium.
High waste and high recycling can go together. Italy and Germany generate more than 200 kg per person, yet both recycle more per person than any other EU country. Countries with the least packaging waste, such as Croatia, also recycle the least per person.
Source: Eurostat.
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The EU generated 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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Each EU inhabitant generated 181.0 kg of packaging waste on average in 2024, up 3.2 kg on 2023, according to Eurostat.
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Packaging waste per EU inhabitant rose 9.4% between 2015 and 2024, from 165.5 kg to 181.0 kg, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 180.99 kg per inhabitant in 2024 / 165.47 kg in 2015 - 1 = +9.4% (Eurostat env_waspac, packaging waste generated, KG_HAB).
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The EU recycled 67.0% of its packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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Six EU countries already recycled more than the 2030 target of 70% of packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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Belgium had the highest packaging recycling rate in the EU at 83.2% in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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Malta recycled 44.5% of its packaging waste in 2024, among the lowest rates in the EU, according to Eurostat.
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Belgium recycled 38.7 percentage points more of its packaging waste than Malta in 2024, 83.2% against 44.5%, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 83.2% Belgium - 44.5% Malta, packaging recycling rates in 2024 (Eurostat Statistics Explained) = 38.7 percentage points. Romania (41.0%, 2023 data) and Hungary (42.9%, 2022 data) are lower but use older years.
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Italy generated the most packaging waste per person in the EU, 221.2 kg per inhabitant in 2024, according to Eurostat.
| Country | Recycling rate | Waste per person (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 83.2% | 169.3 |
| Czechia (provisional) | 77.5% | 127.5 |
| Italy | 76.4% | 221.2 |
| Slovenia | 75.6% | 140.4 |
| Netherlands | 75.4% | 165.9 |
| Spain | 74.6% | 194.4 |
| Germany | 69.4% | 214.7 |
| France | 68.4% | 173.1 |
| EU-27 | 67.0% | 181.0 |
| Ireland | 63.2% | 220.9 |
| Poland (provisional) | 61.0% | 180.4 |
| Denmark | 56.0% | 197.1 |
| Finland (provisional) | 55.4% | 169.6 |
| Greece (provisional) | 47.1% | 116.9 |
| Malta | 44.5% | 194.2 |
Packaging recycling rates by material
Recycling rates differ far more by material than by country. Paper, glass and metal recycle well in the EU, the UK and the US. Plastic and wood do not.
Paper and cardboard is both the largest and one of the best recycled packaging materials. It made up 40.8% of EU packaging waste in 2024, and 85.3% of it was recycled. In the US, 96.5% of corrugated boxes were recycled in 2018.
Glass shows the biggest transatlantic gap. The EU and UK both recycled 75.1% of glass packaging, while the US recycled 31.3% of glass containers in 2018. Most US glass packaging, 55.4%, went to landfill.
Wood is the other weak material. The EU recycled 39.5% of wooden packaging in 2024. The UK rate fell from 51.7% in 2024 to 43.7% in 2025, the largest drop of any material in the provisional figures.
Sources: Eurostat, Defra, US EPA.
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The EU recycled 85.3% of its paper and cardboard packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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The EU recycled 75.1% of its glass packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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The EU recycled 59.3% of its aluminium packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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The EU recycled 39.5% of its wooden packaging waste in 2024, the lowest rate of any main material, according to Eurostat.
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The UK recycled 80.3% of its paper and cardboard packaging in 2025, according to provisional Defra figures.
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The UK recycled 43.7% of its wooden packaging in 2025, down from 51.7% in 2024, according to provisional Defra figures.
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The US recycled 96.5% of its corrugated boxes in 2018, according to the US EPA.
| Material | EU (2024) | UK (2025, provisional) | US (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All packaging | 67.0% | 70.5% | 53.9% |
| Paper and cardboard | 85.3% | 80.3% | 80.9% |
| Glass | 75.1% | 75.1% | 31.3% |
| Steel | 86.1% | 88.5% | 73.8% |
| Aluminium | 59.3% | 61.1% | n/a |
| Plastic | 42.4% | 57.3% | 13.6% |
| Wood | 39.5% | 43.7% | n/a |
Plastic packaging waste statistics
Plastic is the material furthest behind its target. The EU must recycle 55% of plastic packaging by 2030.
Packaging is the biggest single source of plastic waste. The OECD found that packaging made up 40% of the world's 353 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019, or about 141 million tonnes. Only 9% of all plastic waste was recycled.
The EU generated 16.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste in 2024 and recycled 42.4%. That is 12.6 points short of the 2030 target. Plastic packaging per person grew 16.6% between 2015 and 2024, faster than packaging overall. Only Latvia, Belgium and Poland already meet the 55% target.
The UK reported 57.3% for 2025, 14.9 points above the EU rate. The US figure of 13.6% is far lower, but it dates from 2018 and uses a different method. The three numbers show direction, not a precise ranking.
- Generated
- Recycled
Source: Eurostat.
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Packaging accounted for 31% of global plastics use in 2019, ahead of construction at 17%, according to the OECD.
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Plastic packaging produced about 141 million tonnes of the world's plastic waste in 2019, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from OECD data.
How we calculated it: 40% packaging share of plastic waste x 353 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019 (OECD Global Plastics Outlook) = 141.2 million tonnes. Approximate, as the 40% share is rounded.
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The world generated 353 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019, more than double the 156 million tonnes of 2000, according to the OECD.
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Only 9% of the world's plastic waste was recycled in 2019, while 22% was mismanaged, according to the OECD.
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The EU generated 16.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste in 2024, 19.9% of all packaging waste, according to Eurostat.
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The EU recycled 42.4% of its plastic packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat.
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The EU plastic packaging recycling rate was 12.6 percentage points short of the 2030 target of 55% in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 55% 2030 plastic target (Eurostat Statistics Explained) - 42.4% EU plastic packaging recycling rate in 2024 (Eurostat env_waspacr) = 12.6 percentage points.
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Plastic packaging waste per EU inhabitant rose 16.6% between 2015 and 2024, from 30.8 kg to 35.9 kg, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 35.93 kg per inhabitant in 2024 / 30.82 kg in 2015 - 1 = +16.6% (Eurostat env_waspac, plastic packaging waste generated, KG_HAB).
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Latvia recycled 71.0% of its plastic packaging waste in 2024, the highest rate in the EU, according to Eurostat.
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Denmark recycled 22.5% of its plastic packaging waste in 2024, the lowest rate in the EU, according to Eurostat.
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The UK recycled 57.3% of its plastic packaging waste in 2025, up from 53.5% in 2024, according to provisional Defra figures.
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The UK plastic packaging recycling rate of 57.3% in 2025 was 14.9 points above the EU rate of 42.4% in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Defra and Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 57.3% UK plastic packaging recycling rate, 2025 provisional (Defra Table 5) - 42.4% EU rate, 2024 (Eurostat env_waspacr) = 14.9 points. Years and methods differ.
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The US recycled 13.6% of its plastic containers and packaging in 2018, almost 2 million tons, according to the US EPA.
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The EU recycled plastic packaging at 3.1 times the US rate, 42.4% in 2024 against 13.6% in 2018, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat and US EPA data.
How we calculated it: 42.4% EU plastic packaging recycling rate, 2024 (Eurostat env_waspacr) / 13.6% US plastic containers and packaging recycling rate, 2018 (US EPA) = 3.1. The data years differ.
| Year | Generated | Recycled |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 30.8 | 12.5 |
| 2016 | 31.6 | 13.4 |
| 2017 | 32.7 | 13.6 |
| 2018 | 33.3 | 13.8 |
| 2019 | 34.2 | 14.1 |
| 2020 | 34.6 | 13.0 |
| 2021 | 36.4 | 14.5 |
| 2022 | 36.3 | 14.7 |
| 2023 | 35.3 | 14.7 |
| 2024 | 35.9 | 15.3 |
UK packaging recycling and Plastic Packaging Tax
The UK taxes plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. The tax started on 1 April 2022. Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility began on 1 January 2025.
The UK recycled 70.5% of its packaging in 2025, on provisional figures, down from 73.2% in 2024. Defra notes that the 2024 rate was revised after late data, and the 2025 rate may move too. Packaging waste arisings were 11.06 million tonnes.
The tax data suggests the incentive is working, though slowly. About half of declared plastic packaging now has at least 30% recycled content, up from 37.6% in the first year. Taxable tonnage fell 20.9% over the same period.
Revenue is shrinking as a result. The tax raised £250 million in 2025 to 2026, down 4%, even though the rate rose to £223.69 per tonne. For how UK shoppers buy online, which drives much of this packaging, see our UK ecommerce statistics.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs. Shares calculated by StatisticsGlobal.
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UK packaging waste arisings were 11.06 million tonnes in 2025, according to provisional Defra figures.
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The UK recycled 70.5% of its packaging waste in 2025, according to provisional Defra figures.
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The UK recycled 73.2% of its packaging waste in 2024, according to Defra.
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The UK packaging recycling rate fell 2.7 percentage points from 73.2% in 2024 to 70.5% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Defra data.
How we calculated it: 70.5% (2025 provisional, Defra Table 5) - 73.2% (2024, Defra Table 4) = -2.7 percentage points.
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Plastic Packaging Tax raised £250 million in the UK in financial year 2025 to 2026, down 4% on the year before, according to HM Revenue & Customs.
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The UK had 5,142 businesses registered for Plastic Packaging Tax as of 13 August 2026, according to HM Revenue & Customs.
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UK businesses declared 2.97 million tonnes of plastic packaging manufactured or imported in financial year 2025 to 2026, according to HM Revenue & Customs.
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Taxable plastic packaging declared in the UK fell 20.9% between financial years 2022 to 2023 and 2025 to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from HMRC data.
How we calculated it: 1,107 thousand tonnes taxable in FY2025-26 / 1,399 thousand tonnes in FY2022-23 - 1 = -20.9% (HMRC Table 2).
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Plastic Packaging Tax was charged at £223.69 per tonne in the UK in financial year 2025 to 2026, according to HM Revenue & Customs.
| Financial year | Total declared | Taxable | 30% or more recycled content | Recycled-content share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 to 2023 | 3,433 | 1,399 | 1,290 | 37.6% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 3,008 | 1,255 | 1,400 | 46.5% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 3,138 | 1,194 | 1,569 | 50.0% |
| 2025 to 2026 | 2,970 | 1,107 | 1,506 | 50.7% |
Plastic bags and reusable packaging
The EU also tracks two smaller measures of sustainable packaging, plastic carrier bag use and reusable packaging placed on the market.
Each EU resident used 66 lightweight plastic carrier bags in 2024. That is 30.5% fewer than in 2018, but the figure rose slightly from 64 in 2023. The EU target is fewer than 40 bags per person by 2025.
Use varies fiftyfold between countries. Belgium reported 4 bags per person and Latvia 204. Eurostat says part of the gap may come from different counting methods.
Reuse data is new and patchy. Countries have reported reusable packaging only since 2021. Finland put 37.6 kg of reusable packaging per person on the market in 2024, the most in the EU. For packaging that comes back from shoppers, see our ecommerce returns statistics.
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Each EU inhabitant used 66 lightweight plastic carrier bags on average in 2024, up from 64 in 2023, according to Eurostat.
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Lightweight plastic carrier bag use per EU inhabitant fell 30.5% between 2018 and 2024, from 95 to 66 bags, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Eurostat data.
How we calculated it: 66 bags per inhabitant in 2024 / 95 bags in 2018 - 1 = -30.5% (Eurostat Statistics Explained). The 2025 target is fewer than 40 bags.
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Finland put 37.6 kg of reusable packaging per inhabitant on the market for the first time in 2024, the highest in the EU, according to Eurostat.
| Country | Bags per person |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 4 |
| Poland | 8 |
| Portugal | 11 |
| Austria | 17 |
| Netherlands | 23 |
| Germany | 27 |
| France | 44 |
| EU average | 66 |
| Lithuania | 173 |
| Czechia | 199 |
| Latvia | 204 |
How the sources measure packaging waste
Eurostat compiles data that EU countries report under the Packaging Waste Directive. Recycling rates follow the calculation rules for the 2025 and later targets. Some countries send provisional, estimated or older data, and Eurostat flags these. The EU figures for 2023 and 2024 carry a flag asking readers to check the metadata.
Defra divides packaging recycled under UK producer responsibility rules by packaging placed on the market. From 2024 the market data comes from the new Reported Packaging Data system. The 2025 figures are provisional and were revised in past years.
HMRC data comes from Plastic Packaging Tax returns. Only firms that make or import over 10 tonnes of plastic packaging in 12 months must declare. HMRC does not collect recycled content for exported or medicine packaging.
The US EPA estimates packaging waste with a materials flow model built on industry production data. Its latest edition covers 2018. The OECD figures come from its Global Plastics Outlook model with a 2019 base year. A widely shared claim that half of plastic waste is packaging conflicts with the OECD's 40%, so we use the OECD figure. Paid market size reports and vendor consumer surveys are not included.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of packaging is recycled in Europe?
The EU recycled 67.0% of its packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat. Belgium had the highest rate at 83.2%. Paper and cardboard reached 85.3%, but plastic only 42.4%.
Is packaging recycling improving?
Not much. The EU rate slipped from 67.4% in 2023 to 67.0% in 2024, and the UK rate fell from 73.2% in 2024 to 70.5% in 2025 on provisional figures. Packaging waste per EU person rose 9.4% between 2015 and 2024.
How much plastic waste is packaging?
Packaging made up 40% of the world's plastic waste in 2019, according to the OECD. That is about 141 million tonnes, calculated by StatisticsGlobal.
Which country recycles the most packaging?
In the EU, Belgium recycled 83.2% of its packaging waste in 2024, according to Eurostat. Czechia, Italy, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Spain also beat 70%.
How does the US compare with the UK and EU?
The latest US figure shows 53.9% of containers and packaging recycled in 2018, according to the US EPA. That is below the EU (67.0% in 2024) and the UK (70.5% in 2025). The years differ.
Will the EU meet its 2030 packaging targets?
It is close overall, 3.0 points short of 70% in 2024. Plastic is the problem. The EU rate of 42.4% is 12.6 points below the 55% target for 2030.
Sources
- Eurostat, Packaging waste statistics (Statistics Explained), Data extracted 16 October 2026, accessed 8 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Eurostat, Recycling rates of packaging waste for monitoring compliance with policy targets, by type of packaging (env_waspacr), Dataset updated 21 October 2026, accessed 8 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Defra, UK statistics on waste, Updated 23 September 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- OECD, Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options (policy highlights), February 2022. Link · Saved data copy
- Eurostat, Packaging waste by waste management operations (env_waspac), Dataset updated 21 October 2026, accessed 8 November 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- US EPA, Containers and Packaging: Product-Specific Data, Accessed 8 November 2026 (2018 data, latest edition). Link · Saved data copy
- HM Revenue & Customs, Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) statistics commentary, Updated 27 August 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
Changes to this page
- : Page published with Eurostat 2024 data (released October 2026), Defra provisional 2025 data and HMRC data for financial year 2025 to 2026.