In the video below Peter Rem, associate professor of resources and recycling at the Delft University of Technology, investigates the current context of plastic packaging recycling.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• Packaging accounts for about 40% of all the plastics we use globally.
• In Europe, current plastic recycling is primarily focussed on waste management rather than value recovery.
• The after use quality of waste plastic packaging makes it difficult to restore it to ‘virgin’ level quality. Additives can also cause problems for recycling.