{
  "id": 1694149,
  "title": "Mittelstand: Kreislaufwirtschaft: Wie Plastikmüll zum Rohstoff wird",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/mittelstand-kreislaufwirtschaft-wie-plastikmull-zum-rohstoff-wird",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T10:44:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/mittelstand/mittelstand-wie-plastikmuell-zum-rohstoff-wird/100245621.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Hamburg, Germany - The countdown begins for a significant shift in the plastic waste industry, as the EU's new packaging regulation comes into effect. Manufacturers of plastic packaging in the EU will have to comply with mandatory quotas for the use of recycled plastic starting in 2030. The proportion of recycled material in packaging varies depending on the type, with a potential maximum of 35% by 2040. Currently, many companies already use recycled plastic voluntarily, seeing it as a crucial part of climate protection efforts to conserve resources and reduce emissions. However, the lack of a functioning circular economy for plastic remains a challenge. While Germany generates approximately six million tons of plastic waste annually, only about 18.9% of the total plastic processed in the country is made from recycled material, according to a report by the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy commissioned by the German Federal Environment Foundation.",
  "summary": "Ab 2030 müssen Kunststoffverpackungen einen Mindestanteil an recyceltem Material enthalten. Noch ist unklar, wie das funktionieren soll. Zwei Mittelständler zeigen, wie es heute schon geht.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}