Increase of packaging use is growing by less than 1% per annum while Member States look to be on track for achieving the 2008 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive targets. Those are the main conclusions of an ASSURRE analysis of official Packaging and Packaging Waste statistics from 2002.

Following its two previous analyses of Member State achievements related to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive ASSURRE has released its latest report on the reported recovery and recycling rates of this waste stream in 121 Member States for 2002.

This report contains a full set of recovery and recycling figures for all 12 Member States, as well as observations of key performance trends for the 1998-2002 period. While changing lifestyles, increases in single person households and a growing, more mobile population influence consumption patterns, and therefore packaging use, the increase of packaging put on the market is still moderate at less than 1% per annum in the 2000-2002 period.

The results of the analysis show that the 12 Member States are on average achieving the 2008 overall recycling target of 55% with the UK and Spain bringing up the rear at 44%. While some Member States who began slowly have made impressive progress since 1998, the performance of high-achieving countries has levelled out in the same period resulting in the gap between the highest and the lowest recyclers closing from 52% in 1998 to 30% in 2002.

"Member States each have to meet the overall and material-specific targets individually rather than on average of course, but the signs are encouraging as the late starters are clearly making steady progress, while the early leaders are tending to concentrate on bringing the costs of their systems down to a more sustainable level", said Bill Duncan, Managing Director of ASSURRE. Tonnes of waste recovered (+21%) and tonnes of material recycled (+20%) have both grown faster than packaging use since 1998. These positive developments have meant a continued reduction of landfill reliance across the EU12: from 45% of packaging put on the market in 1998 down to 37% in 2002. "This is a striking example, where producers, local authorities and the waste management industry are really delivering against the objectives of the Directive and have succeeded in decoupling the environmental impact of waste from economic growth and product use" Bill Duncan commented