“The Eurostat data is encouraging and clearly demonstrates the packaging supply chain’s achievements as, overall, the EU packaging recycling and recovery targets are being met or exceeded. However, it also underlines the need for full implementation and enforcement of EU waste legislation in all Member States to help close the existing gaps between Member States,” stated Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of EUROPEN.

She added, “The data shows once again that packaging waste management is increasingly resource efficient: there was a 1.9% increase in packaging placed on the market in 2011 compared to 2010 but a 2.7% decline in packaging waste sent for final disposal over the same period.”