Comment: Increased recycling of plastic and paper packaging, but the picture remains unclear

– It is positive that the statistics show an increase in the recycling of plastic and paper packaging. At the same time, it is difficult to fully compare developments from year to year, as reporting, accounting and calculation methods are changing. This makes it difficult to get a clear picture of Sweden’s actual position,” says Henrik Nilsson, Head of Marketing and Public Affairs at Näringslivets Producentansvar.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s report shows, among other things, how much of the packaging reported by operators as placed on the market is recycled. These statistics show that the recycling rates for plastic and metal packaging have increased, while those for glass, paper and wood have decreased compared with 2024.

The Agency also presents statistics based on adjusted volumes. These include packaging that has not been reported as placed on the market, known as free-riding. This refers to packaging that enters the system but for which no one has submitted a report or paid a packaging fee. As these volumes are not included in the regular statistics, the recycling rate is overestimated. The adjusted material recycling rate shows that the recycling of plastic and paper packaging is increasing, while glass recycling is decreasing. Adjusted figures for other packaging materials are not available this year.

– We note that the adjusted volumes of plastic packaging placed on the market that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency reports to Eurostat are higher than the volumes presented in Table 4. This indicates that even the adjusted recycling rate for plastic is overestimated in the statistics,” says Henrik Nilsson.

Since 2024, the statistics have also included packaging waste from businesses, as market-driven systems became subject to reporting requirements that year. As a result, the reported quantities of collected and recycled paper packaging have increased compared with previous years, affecting the recycling rate. At the same time, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency points out that reporting errors cannot be ruled out as new operators have become subject to reporting requirements, which may affect the statistics.

The amount of packaging reported as placed on the market has increased slightly, which runs counter to upcoming EU requirements to reduce packaging volumes.

– This trend needs to be reversed, and it is something we will be placing greater focus on going forward. However, it is positive that the share of reusable packaging is continuing to increase this year,” says Henrik Nilsson.

Press release from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s report “Sweden’s Packaging Recycling 2025