Photo: Shutterstock The European Commission published yesterday (April 16, 2026) its first report under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). The report is based on data from EU countries and covers the collection of single-use plastic (SUP) bottles for recycling.
According to the figures, the separate collection rate for SUP beverage bottles in the European Union was 71% in 2022. Ten countries have already reached the 77% target set for 2025:
-Belgium
-Denmark
-Germany
-Estonia
-Poland
-Finland
-Sweden
-Lithuania
-Croatia
-Slovakia
Of these countries, six have already met the 90% target for 2030.
The report indicates that countries with high collection rates often operate deposit-and-return systems, which encourage recycling and the return of containers for reuse.
At the same time, in 2022, approximately 524,000 tons of disposable food containers and approximately 152,000 tons of disposable beverage cups were sold in the EU. These figures will serve as a basis for comparison in future reports, which will examine whether EU countries are successful in reducing consumption by the end of 2026.
The report also notes that roughly 22,900 tons of fishing gear containing plastic were placed on the market, with only about a third collected as waste.
Among the key steps taken in EU countries to reduce the use of single-use plastics are economic tools such as extended manufacturer's warranty, green public procurement, awareness-raising campaigns, and the promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives.
The current report will serve as a baseline for monitoring countries' compliance with the binding targets by 2030, alongside examining the extent of consumption and the effectiveness of the measures taken.
Photo: European Union