KAZALCI OKOLJA

Key message
Neutral

The amount of packaging waste has stabilized in recent years at about 100 kg per capita per year. In 2014, every resident of Slovenia produced 102 kg of packaging waste, which is a few kilos more than in the four preceeding years.

Recovery of packaging waste has been increasing and in 2014 stood at 88%. Recycling is also increasing and in 2014 it reached 70%. Slovenia has reached the EU target – to reuse at least 55% of all packaging materials by the end of 2012.


This indicator shows the quantity of packaging waste generated per capita, the connection between the quantity of produced packaging and the GDP, the quantity of produced and recycled packaging waste by material and the shares of recovered and recycled packaging waste.

Packaging is defined as products made of any type of material intended to cover or hold goods (raw materials or final products) for the purpose of storage or protection, handling, delivery or presentation on the route from the packaging facility to the end user (Decree on the management of packaging and packaging waste, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, Nos 84/06, 106/06 and 110/07). In addition, all products and items listed under Article 3 of this Decree also constitute packaging.


Charts

Figure OD13-1: Quantity of generated packaging waste per capita in Slovenia and EU
Sources:

Analysis of annual reports on waste management in 2008; Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010

Show data
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Slovenia kg per capita 79 89 91 81 84 102 105 106 102 100
EU-15 kg per capita 171 174 180 181 182 184 186 183 172 176
EU-27 kg per capita 161 163 163 163 153 157
2011 2012 2013
Slovenia kg per capita 101 98 97
EU-15 kg per capita
EU-27 kg per capita 159 158
Figure OD13-2: Trend in total quantity of packaging waste production and GDP
Sources:

Analysis of annual reports on waste management in 2008; Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010

Show data
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
packaging waste t 157481 177547 164390 161507 168630 204181 212085 215110 206994 203763
GDP mio EUR 19460 20206 20780 21685 22553 23828 25482 26323 24271 24567
packaging waste per GDP unit t/mio EUR 8 9 8 7 7 9 8 8 9 8
annual changes % 9 -10 -6 0 15 -3 -2 4 -3
packaging waste index (2001=100) 100 113 104 103 107 130 135 137 131 129
GDP index (2001=100) 100 104 107 111 116 122 131 135 125 126
2011 2012 2013
packaging waste t 207396 202021 200396
GDP mio EUR 24718 24065 23825
packaging waste per GDP unit t/mio EUR 8 8 8
annual changes % 1 0 0
packaging waste index (2001=100) 132 128 127
GDP index (2001=100) 127 124 122
Figure OD13-3: Quantity of generated and recovered packaging waste by type of material
Sources:

Analysis of annual reports on waste management in 2008; Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010

Show data
2004 - generated 2004 - recycled 2005 - generated 2005 - recycled 2006 - generated 2006 - recycled 2007 - generated 2007 - recycled 2008 - generated 2008 - recycled
paper and cardboard t 52202 39790 56030 43316 70416 46699 76268 52222 80331 53291
wood t 28520 1313 31590 6478 36182 1890 38241 8043 35717 2275
plastics t 32345 6115 33940 11506 47348 18299 45731 21248 47890 20214
glass t 26228 4694 25650 10405 31259 11902 32292 13514 31373 23714
metals t 13798 3315 13120 4633 18077 3443 18187 3803 18476 3658
other t 8414 197 8300 66 899 79 1365 700 1323 1283
total t 161507 55424 168630 76404 204181 82312 212085 99530 215110 104436
2009 - generated 2009 - recycled 2010 - generated 2010 - recycled 2011 - generated 2011 - recycled 2012 - generated 2012 - recycled 2013 - generated 2013 - recycled
paper and cardboard t 82312 59451 80904 60395 82226 60458 79305 62382 79125 62241
wood t 28912 3177 29813 4694 32843 5117 28688 9484 28909 4355
plastics t 46603 19586 45268 30477 44729 33791 44841 29063 42050 34364
glass t 31627 16575 31347 23546 31146 25632 31993 27928 32982 28319
metals t 15988 4295 14966 4921 15043 6075 15225 6336 15260 8912
other t 1552 2297 1465 171 1409 876 1969 37 2070 18
total t 206994 105381 203763 124204 207396 131949 202021 135230 200396 138209
Figure OD13-4: Share of recovered packaging waste and target share
Sources:

Analysis of annual reports on waste management in 2008; Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010

Show data
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
paper and cardboard % np np np 77 77 66 74 66 72 75
plastics % 10 14 8 26 34 39 51 43 42 71
glass % np np np 18 41 38 42 76 52 75
wood % np np np 47 31 39 36 38 37 41
metals % np np np 24 35 19 21 20 27 33
others % np np np np np np np np 0 16
total (all packaging waste) % 8 12 13 43 47 46 53 54 53 66
2011 2012 2013
paper and cardboard % 77 81 82
plastics % 82 97 128
glass % 82 87 86
wood % 41 55 48
metals % 40 42 58
others % 83 8
total (all packaging waste) % 70 78 93
Figure OD13-5: Share of recycled packaging waste and target share
Sources:

Analysis of annual reports on waste management in 2008; Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010

Show data
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
paper and cardboard % 76 77 66 68 66 72 75 74 79 79
wood % 5 21 5 21 6 11 16 16 33 15
plastics % 19 34 39 46 42 42 67 76 65 82
glas % 18 41 38 42 76 52 75 82 87 86
metals % 24 35 19 21 20 27 33 40 42 58
other % 2 1 9 51 97 148 12 62 2 1
total (all packaging waste) % 34 45 40 47 49 51 61 64 67 69
Figure OD13-6: The quantity of packaging waste per capita in EU-27, 2008
Sources:

Waste Management Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2010; Eurostat, Packaging waste, 2010


Goals

·         Recovery, including energy recovery: at least 50% of the total mass of packaging waste;

·         Recycling: at least 55% and no more than 80% of the total mass of packaging waste

·         Recycling of individual types of packaging material contained in the total mass of packaging waste: glass 60%, paper and cardboard 60%, metals 50%, plastic 22.5% and wood 15%.

 


The quantity of generated packaging depends both on consumers' behaviour as well as production and distribution patterns. Packaging waste is generated in households and in manufacturing and service activities. Consumers can contribute greatly to the reduction in quantities of packaging.

Management of packaging waste holds a special position in waste management, not just because of generated quantities and risk potential, but rather because of the enormous volume of packaging waste and extremely widespread generation of packaging waste in our everyday life.

In recent years, the quantity of generated packaging waste has stabilised at approximately 100 kg per capita. In 2014, 209,704 tonnes of packaging waste, i.e. 102 kg of packaging waste per capita, was generated. The structure of packaging waste was as follows: glass 15% (32,478 tonnes), plastic 21% (44,214 tonnes), paper and board 40% (84,730 tonnes), metals 8% (17,032 tonnes), wood 14% (29,400 tonnes) and other 1% (1,850 tonnes).

The quantities of generated packaging waste were increasing up to and including 2008. In 2009, quantities dropped, one reason being the economic crisis. In the years following 2014, the GDP also declined compared to previous years. In 2014, 3.7% more packaging waste per unit of GDP was generated compared to 2001.

In 2014, packaging waste was managed by six companies, GORENJE SUROVINA, INTERSEROH, RECIKEL, SLOPAK EMBAKOM and UNIREC. Packaging waste management companies must provide regular collection of packaging waste that is categorised as municipal waste in collection centres or centres for municipal waste treatment operated by public utility service providers. These companies also provide treatment of non-municipal packaging waste collected from companies or other legal entities included in their packaging waste collection and treatment schemes.

In some cases, the data for 2014 (plastic and other packaging materials) shows that the quantity of recovered waste exceeded the quantity of waste generated in that year. In 2014, 99% of waste glass packaging, 82% of waste paper and cardboard packaging, 64% of waste wood packaging and 51% of waste metal packaging was recovered. Together, 88% of the total mass of packaging waste was recovered in 2014.

The highest recycling rate was achieved in waste glass packaging (99%), followed by paper and cardboard (80%), plastic (69%), metal (51%) and wood (26%) packaging waste. The recycling objectives were achieved for all packaging materials. With 69% of the total mass of packaging waste recycled, the objective of 55% was also achieved.

In the European Union, the quantities of generated packaging waste per capita has stabilised at approximately 160 kg per capita. However, significant differences have been observed between individual countries. In 2013, 46.7 kg of packaging waste per capita was generated in Croatia, while in Germany the quantity for the same year was 210.4 kg per capita. As regards packaging materials, the highest share in the EU-28 was held by waste paper and cardboard, followed by glass, plastic, wood and metals. Other packaging materials represented less than 3% of the total volume of generated packaging waste.

Most of the countries that were obliged to achieve a minimum recycling rate by 2008 succeeded to do so, including Slovenia.

In European countries, recovery represents 38–98% of the total packaging generated. The lowest percentage of generated packaging is recovered in Poland and the highest in Germany. In European countries, the largest share of packaging waste recovery is represented by recycling, followed by incineration and incineration for the purposes of energy generation. Other forms of recovery represent only a small percentage. Countries where waste incineration for the purposes of energy generation represents a high percentage of waste recovery are also characterised by high packaging waste recovery rates. In particular, these are Scandinavian countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria and Luxembourg. In 2013, the percentage of waste incinerated for the purposes of energy generation exceeded 10%.

In order to meet the objectives of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, most Member States imposed the Producer Responsibility Principle and introduced special systems of packaging waste collection and further treatment. In addition, some countries introduced economic instruments (taxes and other duties) and improved the infrastructure for collection and treatment of packaging waste.

 

 


Methodology

Date of data source summarization