Easy to recycle
82,5% paper & board recycling rate was achieved in 2022, according to EUROSTAT. Additional information about paper & board recycling can be found on the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) web site. The current recycling rate exceeds the target set in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and demonstrates the ambition of the industry to reach the next target of 85% by 2030, set by the European Commission.
Effective mechanisms:
Used corrugated packaging has been recycled effectively for decades, supporting the well-established market for recycled paper as a secondary raw material.
88% recycled content of new corrugated packaging reduces the need for new fibre, protecting natural resources.
Easy-to-fold when no longer needed, retailers and consumers can collect and give used corrugated packaging for recycling with ease.
Space efficient:
Tightly folded, corrugated packaging takes up much less storage space than reusable packaging – at the store before recyclers collect it and on recyclers’ trucks during transportation.
Recycling: The Circular Economy needs it!
Recycling keeps materials like paper and board alive for a long time. Corrugated packaging is the example of the perfect circle: packaging is collected after use, sorted and sent to the paper mill for recycling to become paper and board for a new packaging. This happens over and over again:
Corrugated packaging is collected and recycled all over Europe. There’s no need to transport it back to the original producer/distributor.
Paper and board packaging is already a recycling champion, with a 82,5%1 recycling rate.
Use of recycled paper as a raw material optimises the use of resources and reduces the environmental impact: corrugated packaging has 88%2 recycled content on average.
Recycling packaging keeps valuable materials in the circle and prevents incineration and landfilling.
The circular economy needs re-use to prevent waste (when possible) and recycling to keep the value of the materials in the loop. Besides the great recycling features, corrugated packaging offers additional advantages:
Corrugated packaging is hygienic, preserving fruits and vegetables for longer, and thus reducing food waste.
Corrugated packaging is cost efficient and optimises space for transport and storage, which means fewer trucks on the road.
The perfect circle already exists in real life – just look at corrugated packaging!