New study shows Europe can cut the cost of recycling: Member states must now deliver

European Member States must act now if major efficiency gains in packaging recycling are to be realised.  A new adelphi study has found that countries can achieve higher recycling at lower cost when producer responsibility schemes are built around four concrete design choices: operational responsibility, material responsibility, full producer cost coverage, and independent oversight. This comes at a time when around 80 million tonnes of packaging waste are produced annually in the European Union.

Access the full study and landing page here

Key findings

• Design drives results. Systems in which Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) run operations end-to-end and own material consistently achieve higher yields and better unit costs.
• Evidence across streams. Germany achieves a weighted household plastics recycling rate of 76.1% when deposit-return PET is included (Belgium is second with 60.8%); Belgium reaches 97.8% for glass (Germany 88.5%). Strong governance delivers strong results across different market conditions.
• Competitive systems sharpen efficiency and innovation. Evidence from across the EU shows competition sharpens performance where PROs also hold responsibility, material, and costs.
• The time to act is now. PPWR/CEA decisions in 2025–26 (oversight, role split, tenders, eco-modulation, DRS↔EPR interface, data & audits, anti-free-riding) will lock in performance and affordability for years.

The analysis of household packaging recycling in eight EU Member States finds that these governance choices are the strongest predictors of performance and price efficiency. In systems that combine clear producer responsibility with regulated competition, results improve further through cost pressure and continuous optimisation.

From 2026, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) becomes binding. Member States now face implementation choices that will set recycling performance and system costs for the next decade. In parallel, upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA) processes at national level provide the legal vehicle to align domestic rules with PPWR and to codify the four design features that the study shows are decisive.

Value for money: a new PPP-adjusted “recycling per euro” benchmark build from fees for ten typical household packaging items, shows that efficiency rankings shift by material. Where Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) run operations and own material, well-regulated competition drives costs down further.

Webinar

Meet the authors and ask your questions live.

Date: Tuesday, 18 November 2025, 11:00 – 12:15 CET (Zoom Webinar)

Format: Author briefing, key findings, short policy discussion, moderated Q&A

Registration: Register here for the webinar