According to figures published by Eurostat, Luxembourg recycled 71.5% of packaging waste generated in 2019.
The recycling rates of all packaging waste in the European Union (EU) was estimated at 64.8% in 2019. Packaging waste includes glass, paper, cardboard, metals, plastics, wood and other forms of recycling, such as organic recycling.
These recycling rates are calculated according to weight by dividing the amount of packaging waste recycled by the total amount of packaging waste generated. The recycling rate of plastic packaging waste counts exclusively material that is recycled back into plastic.
Belgium had the highest recycling rate with 84.2%, closely followed by Netherlands (78.8%) and then Luxembourg (71.5%).
Article 6 of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) has set a target of recycling 55% of all packaging waste. This target was met by all Member States, except Croatia (48.9%), Hungary (46.7%) and Malta (35.7%; 2018 data).
