Plastic packaging waste produced in Cyprus amounted to 23.31 kg per capita in 2024, of which 6.47 kg per inhabitant was recycled, according to data published on Thursday by Eurostat.
The recycling rate of plastic packaging waste in Cyprus stood at 27.8%, ranking the country among the member states with the lowest recycling rates in the EU. Lower rates than Cyprus were recorded in Denmark, with 22.5%, Finland, with 26.9%, and France, with 27.4%.
Recycling rate in the EU at 42.4%
At EU level, an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste was generated per inhabitant in 2024, of which 15.3 kg was recycled. Both the amount of plastic packaging waste generated and the amount recycled increased by 0.6 kg per inhabitant compared to 2023.
The recycling rate of plastic packaging waste in the EU increased to 42.4% in 2024 from 41.6% in 2023. The highest recycling rate among Member States was recorded in Latvia, with 71.0%, followed by Belgium with 58.2%, Poland with 56.0% and Czechia with 53.7%.
Between 2014 and 2024, the amount of plastic packaging waste generated in the EU increased by 6.1 kg per inhabitant, while the amount recycled increased by 3.4 kg.
In total, around 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste were produced in the EU in 2024, an amount corresponding to 181.0 kg per inhabitant. This is an increase of 3.2 kg per inhabitant compared to 2023 and by 19.6 kg compared to 2014.
Of the total packaging waste generated in the EU, 40.8% was paper and cardboard, 19.9% plastic, 18.1% glass, 16.2% wood, 4.8% metal and 0.2% was other materials.
CNA
