German-based consulting group Ecoprog GmbH says that the demand for plastics recycling plants in Europe will increase significantly by 2025, with capacity set to rise by 25 percent.
The market study, “The European Market for Plastic Sorting and Recycling,” predicts up to 300 new recycling plants, with an estimated capacity of 5.2 million metric tons will be commissioned during the next decade.
There are 1,200 active sorting and recycling plants in Europe now, but are not enough for projected capacity that would be required through the European Union Waste Framework. That EU project calls for member states to reuse or recycle at least 50 percent of household waste, including paper, metal, plastic and glass by 2020.
However, almost no EU member state has yet reached this goal and a number, including the United Kingdom, are thought to be at risk of missing the target.
"Within the waste management sector, recycling will thus be the most important growth markets in the next years" said Marcel Siebertz, consultant at Ecoprog and lead author of the study in a news release..
The report noted that several European countries still incinerate much of their waste. Switzerland only recovers 10 percent of plastic waste, with the rest being incinerated.
