The study, which is carried out every two years, provides a complete picture of the recycling of plastics by looking at the overall material flow pattern and is of great importance in the public and economic sectors. For 2023, a significant increase in the proportion of recyclates in plastics processing of 6.2% compared to 2021 is expected. Overall, the non-fossil share of plastics produced in 2023 is 18.9%, which represents an increase compared to 16.3% in 2021.
While an increase in plastic processing volumes of 15.4% was observed in the automotive sector compared to 2021, volumes in the packaging sector fell significantly by around 12.3% and in the construction sector by around 17.3%.
The share of recyclate from post-consumer waste rose to 12.0% overall in 2023 compared to 9.1% in 2021. The use of recyclate from post-consumer waste has increased in all application areas, such as construction, the packaging industry, agriculture, horticulture & forestry and vehicles.
Of the 5.9 million tons of plastic waste collected in 2023, around 2.24 million tons were mechanically recycled. This means that the material recycling volume increased by 14.3% in a two-year comparison.
The 35-page summary of the results (short version) is available to download free of charge:
The detailed study (long version) can be ordered via the BKV website:
https://www.bkv-gmbh.de/1170-studie-stoffstrombild-kunststoffe-in-deutschland-2023.html