Page 52 - Plastics News May 2024

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

German companies focus on waste-to-energy

Scrutinising the current landscape of circularity and recycling practices, Resourcify’s report “State of circu-
larity for enterprises in Germany” quantifies the commitment and progress of 313 leading German compa-
nies.

particularly concerning to invest in the circular economy via inflated by waste-to-energy metrics
trend in the report is that waste-to-energy conversion, despite and landfills — only 32% of compa-
companies are including the fact this keeps recyclable materi- nies surveyed achieve a recycling rate
waste-to-energy conversion als from re-entering the production of 50% when excluding these prac-
(primarily in the form of incineration) process, leading to virgin resource ex- tices.
within their “recycling” data. In reality, traction. Although contentious, waste- Without incineration/landfills, only
these companies are falling behind on to-energy is the most popular way for 12% of enterprises are achieving the
their circularity targets and national av- enterprises to ‘invest in the circular 70% national average for production
erages — 68% have a recycling rate of economy’, alongside chemical recy- and commercial waste.
less than 50% when waste-to-energy cling processes (used by 41% of com-
is excluded. This reveals an urgent panies surveyed). When landfill and When comparing industries, over 50%
need to rethink the inclusion of waste- incineration are taken out of the equa- of automotive/manufacturing, retail/
to-energy conversion within the defini- tion, companies’ recycling rates sink fashion, and other industries consider
tion of recycling, as it is enabling busi- to an average of 44%,far below 2025 the circular economy extremely impor-
nesses to inflate their recycling rates targets of 55%. tant, while only 32.5% of the travel/
without committing to circularity. The report shows a trend of compa- tourism sector says the same.

47% of surveyed enterprises claim nies’ recycling rates being significantly Source – Recycling Magazine

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