Eurostat: EU plastic packaging waste reaches 35.9 kg per person in 2024

In 2024, each EU resident generated an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste, of which 15.3 kg was recycled, according to the latest Eurostat figures on packaging waste, published on 22 October 2026.

Both the quantity of plastic packaging waste generated and the quantity recycled increased by 0.6 kg compared with 2023. The EU recycling rate for plastic packaging waste reached 42.4% in 2024, a slight improvement on the 41.6% recorded in 2023. Looking at the longer-term trend, plastic packaging waste generated per person increased by 6.1 kg between 2014 and 2024. Over the same period, the amount recycled per person grew by 3.4 kg.

At 42.4%, the 2024 rate falls short of the packaging directive’s targets for plastic: 50% by the end of 2025 and 55% by the end of 2030. The directive has…