A study conducted by Smurfit Westrock Bag-in-Box across Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden found that consumers across Europe are actively separating Bag-in-Box packaging components for recycling, helping to ensure the materials can be directed into the appropriate recycling streams.
The company claims that most consumers across the four countries followed proper recycling practices by separating the different packaging components before disposal. Smurfit Westrock says the results suggest consumers are increasingly willing to engage with recycling systems when packaging is designed to be intuitive and easy to sort.
The study points out that waste collection systems, recycling policies, consumer education and local sorting guidance are ‘significantly’ different between countries, which is likely an important factor in determining how effectively packaging materials are recovered and recycled. It’s worth noting that while collection systems vary across EU countries, the available waste management options generally depend on local waste policies.
The collection schemes examined in the report were separate collection schemes, where waste streams must be separated by the end user in accordance with local regulations; and mixed collection schemes where consumers are required to dispose of plastic, metal, and carton packaging in the same recycling bin, with component separation mostly reliant on consumer awareness and education.
In related news, new household recycling rules came into force across England in April, meaning waste collectors must collect food and garden waste, paper and card, all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons) and residual waste (non-recyclable waste that is sent for energy recovery or to landfill) separately from households. It is hoped that simplifying sorting and collections will mean more high-quality recycled material can be processed domestically and used by manufacturers to make new products.
We recently spoke with Steinert about its AI-based sorting programme for separating post-consumer PET food trays from other PET packaging, a finalist in this year’s Sustainability Awards. Nominated in the Driving the Circular Economy category, Sascha Fiedler, marketing manager at Steinert, detailed the company’s entry.
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