Recyclter Kunststoff: Recycling-Anteil von Plastik-Pfandflaschen steigt

In Germany, the recycling rate of plastic PET beverage bottles with a 25 cent deposit has significantly increased to about 58 percent last year, according to a study by the German Packaging Market Research Society (GVM). This is a notable rise compared to previous years, with only 34 percent in 2019 and 45 percent in 2021. The industry association Kunststoffverpackungen (IK) welcomes this development, attributing it to companies' efforts to improve the carbon footprint of their products.

PET stands for Polyethylenterephthalate, a type of plastic commonly used in single-use beverage bottles with a deposit. After collection, these bottles are recycled into new PET bottles. Meanwhile, multi-use plastic bottles with a typically 15 cent deposit can be refilled and reused, functioning similarly to glass bottles. The recycling industry is pushing for more recycling to make their business profitable and help Germany's environmental goals.

IK's Isabell Schmidt emphasizes that effective environmental policy requires a strong industrial base in the country. "Circular economy does not arise solely from legal requirements." Environmental advocate Viola Wohlgemuth of Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) expresses concern over the trend towards single-use plastics. While the increase in PET recycling is beneficial, as it saves oil for new plastic production, the study should not distract from other plastic issues.

She notes that multi-use bottles have a lower recycling rate, and single-use bottles remain the dominant market. Wohlgemuth points out that PET single-use bottles require significant energy to be melted down and repurposed, despite Germany's packaging law requiring 70 percent multi-use bottles. PET multi-use bottles, which can be refilled about 25 times, are a better alternative. Glass bottles can achieve up to 50 refills before being recycled into new bottles.