Europe has the material needed to increase flexible film recycling, but significant volumes are still being lost through collection and sorting.

Around 14.2 million tonnes of post-use flexible films were available across the EU27+3 in 2025, yet only 2.9 million tonnes emerged as recyclate. 

Collection remains a major challenge. Only 42% of post-use flexible film was collected in 2025, with performance varying considerably between applications. Industrial packaging achieved an 86% collection rate, compared with just 41% for consumer packaging. 

Improving consumer collection, upgrading sorting infrastructure and creating stronger demand for recyclate will all be essential. Technology can help, but investment and effective collection systems will ultimately determine how quickly Europe can close the gap. 

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