After a period of growth in the production of packaging waste, as of 2009, a decrease followed. From 2013 onwards, there has been a reversal of this trend. Likewise, the recovery rate (which includes recycling and energy recovery) reached maximum values in 2008-2009, having decreased since then until 2012, when the trend was reversed. In 2016, the packaging recycling rate reached 61%.
Recycling of packaging waste
The "Recycling of packaging waste" fact sheet measures the quantity of packaging waste recovered in Portugal, by material and in total.
Description:
As a result of the increasing importance in quantitative terms, packaging is considered a specific waste stream, with its management being carried out in a differentiated way, through the creation of specific legislation, which introduces a co-responsibility for all stakeholders in the packaging life cycle.
The scope of packaging waste includes packaging from the municipal waste stream and packaging from the non-municipal waste stream, in this case, industrial and non-reusable packaging.
The municipal packaging waste stream is managed by separate collection, through voluntary deposition systems or door-to-door collection These circuits are provided by the management entities, Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV) and Novo Verde, in articulation with the multi-municipal and inter-municipal systems of waste management.
"Recycling" means any recovery operation, including the reprocessing of organic materials, by which the constituent materials of waste are again transformed in products, materials or substances for their original purpose or for other purposes but which do not include energy recovery or reprocessing of materials that should be used as fuel or in filling operations.
In recycling, as in packaging waste production, all wastes from the municipal waste stream are included, accounting for separately collected waste as well as packaging waste withdrawn through infrastructures receiving waste from undifferentiated collection.
The remaining quantities of packaging waste come from the non-municipal waste stream, where the responsibility for sending them for recycling lies with the producers of the waste itself, through waste management operators contracted and licensed for that purpose.
It is important to highlight that there are other packaging waste management circuits, namely VALORMED, which collects waste packaging of medical products, and SIGERU which collects packaging waste from plant protection products, whose contribution to the total quantity is negligible, but whose role in the diversion of packaging waste currently or previously containing products considered hazardous from the municipal circuit is essential.
This fact sheet concerns mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and Azores and shall be updated on an annual basis.
Objectives and targets:
- Increase overall and sectoral collection, recycling and recovery rates for the different packaging waste materials and meet the established targets.
- Portugal maintains its commitment to achieving the packaging waste recovery and recycling targets (established by the Decree-Law no. 366-A/97 in its current wording, which transposes into the internal legal system the Directive 2004/12/EC), which consist of meeting, by the end of 2011, a minimum recovery of 60% (in weight), of which at least 55% must correspond to recycling, with minimum sectoral recycling targets of:
- 60% for paper/cardboard packaging waste;
- 60% for glass packaging waste;
- 50% for metal packaging waste;
- 22.5% for plastic packaging waste;
- 15% for wood packaging waste
Until the setting of new targets, those to be complied with are the ones set to be reached by 2011.
Progress analysis:
In 2016, packaging waste from the municipal stream accounted for 38% of the total recycled quantity.
Packaging waste produced, recycled and recovered in Portugal
Source: APA, 2018
Recycling rate of glass packaging waste and target set for 2011
Source: APA, 2018
Recycling rate of paper and cardboard packaging waste and target set for 2011
Source: APA, 2018
Recycling rate of plastic packaging waste and target set for 2011
Source: APA, 2018
Recycling rate of metal packaging waste and target set for 2011
Source: APA, 2018
Recycling rate of wood packaging waste and target set for 2011
Source: APA, 2018
In general, all recycling rates increased or remained the same. As far as metal packaging is concerned, the data available for 2016 still doesn't allow the calculation of the value achieved against the set target.
Since 2008, the recycling rate for paper/cardboard packaging waste has been declining, with trend reversals in 2011 and 2013, and now in 2016 with a recycling rate of 70%.
The recycling rate of plastic packaging waste shows, in turn, a rising trend between 2011 and 2015. In 2016 the recycling rate remained the same as in the previous year, with 42%.
The recycling rate for glass packaging once again did not reach the target, coming very close, with 59% (60% being the target to reach).
The recycling rate for wood packaging waste reached 103% in 2016, well above the target of 15% for 2011. The rate presented exceeds 100% because the recycled quantity is higher than the quantity placed on the market annually. This is due to the inclusion of reusable packaging (not accounted for in this rate) that is bundled with non-reusable packaging making it impossible to distinguish between the two from the analysis of the data.
Last update:
Friday, 21 December, 2018
More information at:
Portuguese Environment Agency – www.apambiente.pt