But there are product-specific targets too. For example, the 27 countries should be recycling at least 65 percent of their packaging waste — like takeaway containers, paper wrappers and cardboard boxes — and 65 percent of all the electronic goods (think of all those phones, tablets, electric whisks and vacuum cleaners) placed on the EU market in the last three years.
It’s hard to know exactly if the region is on track to meet these targets or not, since the latest data from the EU’s statistical office, submitted by EU governments themselves, is from 2022.
Still, POLITICO can make an educated guess — firstly, because in the summer of 2023 the Commission warned that the majority of countries were likely going to miss the targets in its progress report.
Secondly, because the numbers speak for themselves. In 2022, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and the Netherlands were the only countries already meeting the 2025 municipal waste targets, while Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy were just a few basis points away from the target line. Over half of countries were already meeting the packaging targets, however.
Meanwhile, only Latvia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were collecting the required amount of e-waste.
Plastics
Zooming in on plastics, Brussels has set some rules for its production, use, and recycling.
