The use of plastic has dramatically increased in the last ten years. Recent data shows that in 2021, the average individual in the European Union (EU) produced around 36 kg of plastic packaging waste.
“Microplastic particles are currently present almost everywhere — in our water, food, fish, and even breast milk,” states Artūras Torkelis, a PhD candidate at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). He points out that effective waste management is crucial to mitigate these dangers.
In Europe, plastic consumption has surged in the past decade. Reports indicate that in 2021, each person in the EU created an average of 36 kg of plastic packaging waste. Out of over 16 million tonnes of plastic packaging produced that year, only 6.5 million tonnes were recycled. The challenge of plastic recycling continues to be critical. Poor recycling practices not only escalate the volume of waste that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and natural environments, but also contribute to the emergence of microplastics that jeopardize ecosystems and human health.
Torkelis asserts that addressing the waste management issue requires a comprehensive approach. It is a complex problem that needs to be tackled from multiple perspectives.
“It would be a mistake to concentrate solely on advancing recycling technologies or discovering new methods without considering the economic, environmental, and legal aspects,” Torkelis explains. “Not only would this strategy be ineffective, it could also lead to shortcomings in other critical areas.”
To gain insight into how various external factors affect plastic packaging recycling, KTU researchers undertook a macro-environmental analysis, focusing on six vital areas: political, economic, social, technological, ecological, and legal factors.
Challenge #1: Outdated waste management regulations
The political and legal landscape encompasses numerous laws and policies designed to oversee the disposal of plastic packaging waste. While these regulations aim to manage producers, waste handlers, and recyclers, they often fall short of ensuring effective waste management.
For example, the EU’s framework for plastic packaging waste had relied on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which was introduced 30 years ago and allowed each member state to individually determine how to meet established targets. “Consequently, these objectives were frequently challenging to achieve, as countries interpreted them in divergent ways,” Torkelis elaborates as a PhD student at KTU’s Institute of Environmental Engineering.
A new regulation is set to come into effect in 2024, which will apply uniformly across all countries, ensuring clearer and more efficient recycling processes for plastic packaging.
Challenge #2: Lower quality recycled plastics
Discussing the economic side, Torkelis reveals that existing recycling technologies often struggle to produce high-quality recycled plastics effectively and at a reasonable cost. As a result, recycled plastics are typically sold at prices 2-3 times lower than that of virgin plastics in international markets.
Moreover, an influx of supply from China, other Asian nations, and North America further diminishes the competitiveness of recycled plastics. Due to their greater versatility and cost-effectiveness, virgin plastics are still favored by manufacturers.
Challenge #3: Public attitudes towards recycling vary
Although primary sorting, where waste is separated by type at home, is more efficient than secondary sorting that occurs at recycling facilities, encouraging people to engage in this practice poses a challenge.
A prevalent misconception is that sorted waste ultimately ends up in landfills or is incinerated, which diminishes public motivation to recycle. “This is why educational programs demonstrating the waste’s journey from collection to recycling are vital,” Torkelis notes.
In Lithuania, Torkelis references the case of Alytus, where effective preventive measures have boosted community engagement and improved waste sorting. However, behaviors and attitudes are inconsistent across different cities in Lithuania.
“For example, in Kaunas, waste collected from private residences is generally cleaner than that from public containers in apartment complexes,” he observes, highlighting how individual accountability and social norms affect the quality of sorting.
Challenge #4: Recycling composite packaging is challenging
Torkelis discusses that despite advancements in recycling technologies for plastic packaging waste, composite packaging remains difficult to recycle.
The KTU expert points out that existing solutions are frequently inefficient not only from a technological perspective but also in terms of cost and environmental impact. This has led to increased focus on eco-design: “The emphasis is shifting beyond merely whether packaging can be recycled; it is also about its initial design, ensuring it is both recyclable and reusable.”
He argues that the use of combined packaging should be limited to situations where it is absolutely necessary, such as in pharmaceuticals, rather than for superficial aesthetic reasons in other fields.
Challenge #5: Plastic waste is still leaking into the natural environment
Tackling environmental issues, Torkelis brings attention to microplastics and the harm they inflict on ecosystems and living beings. The presence of microplastics in the environment can be traced back to poorly managed plastic waste, making it imperative to prevent uncontrolled waste release throughout the entire plastic packaging lifecycle.
While minimizing plastic waste remains a primary objective, recycling is crucial for managing the plastic already in circulation. The EU’s goal of recycling 50% of plastics by 2025 has not been reached, and now the target is set to recycle 55% by 2030.
