Quantities of Recycled Plastic Waste in the EU and Croatia

The growing use of plastics has simultaneously increased the accumulation of ubiquitous plastic waste in landfills and the environment, posing global aesthetic and ecological challenges. Consequently, various waste disposal procedures are implemented, with recycling or waste recovery occupying a prominent position in the waste management hierarchy. Plastic waste recovery includes mechanical, chemical, or energy-related processes, yielding products suitable for reuse. This method of plastic waste disposal is currently the most cost-effective solution, aiming to avoid landfill dumping and reduce waste volumes. In the past two decades, the focus of waste management has shifted increasingly from disposal methods to prevention and recycling, with European Union (EU) member states committed to implementing and harmonising current legal measures related to plastic items prescribed by EU directives. The ultimate goal is to transition toward a circular economy model, promoting the sustainable use of plastics and minimising waste generation. Despite the increasing waste production rate in the EU, the quantity of municipal waste dumped in landfills has decreased overall, partly due to the introduction of European legislation, such as the Directive 62/1994 on packaging and packaging waste. However, Croatia’s plastic packaging waste recycling rate still lags behind the EU average.