For Näringslivets Producentansvar, this figure is not news in itself, as the challenge of recycling beverage containers, such as milk and juice containers, has been well-known before.
In addition to paper, beverage containers, also consist of a thin plastic film and sometimes have a coating of aluminium. This makes them more difficult to recycle compared to packaging consisting of only one type of material, known as monomaterial.
– As a producer responsibility organisation, we actively work to increase the proportion of recyclable packaging with our customers, for example, through differentiated packaging fees. These fees mean that packaging that is difficult to recycle, such as beverage containers, has a higher fee than packaging that can be fully recycled. This provides an incentive for producers to develop more recyclable packaging and also finances the higher costs that non-recyclable packaging entails, says Henrik Nilsson, Head of Business Development & Public Relations at Näringslivets Producentansvar.
The lack of post-sorting has an impackt
In Sweden, only Fiskeby has the capability to recycle beverage containers. Fiskeby purchases approximately half of the collected paper packaging as raw material for its production, while the remaining paper packaging is sold to facilities in Europe for recycling.
Currently, there is no option for post-sorting of paper packaging in Sweden to separate beverage containers from other paper packaging. This means that European paper recycling facilities receive mixed paper packaging collected in Sweden. Most facilities cannot handle beverage containers in their processes. Instead, the material undergoes sorting, where beverage containers are separated and energy recovered through incineration.
Beverage cartons that are not material recycled are not included in the statistics on material recycling rates published by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
We support affiliated producers in material choices
Näringslivets Producentansvar has extensive expertise in packaging design and offers support to affiliated producers in design for recycling. Read more about how we work with the design of more recyclable packaging
Article in Dagens Nyheter:
Half of collected beverage containers are not recycled (In Swedish only)