Estimation of Recycling Potential of Multilayer Films in Austria
It is impossible to imagine today's society and economy without plastic and plastic packaging is in particular focus. Worldwide, 368 million tons of plastic were produced in 2019, of which 57.9 million tons in the European Union (EU). They account for more than a third of all plastic products in Europe and are particularly conspicuous because of their short lifespan and ubiquitous distribution in the environment worldwide. (Plastic Europe 2020) According to Eurostat, plastic packaging is accountable for 15.4 million tons or 177.4 kg of waste plastic packaging per citizen in 2019 (Eurostat 2021). Hence, the proliferation of plastic in all areas of life has become an increasingly
visible issue and its impact on the environment is the subject of heated debate.
It is impossible to imagine today's society and economy without plastic and plasticpackaging. Worldwide, 368 million tons of plastic were produced in 2019, of which 57.9 milliontons in Europe. They account for more than a third of all plastic products in Europe and are particularlyconspicuous because of their short lifespan and ubiquitous distribution in the environmentworldwide. Regulations on the European level already address this issue. Due to limits of physicalproperties of single material packaging, multilayer films are on the rise. These complex stackedstructures of up to nine thin different layers pose a new challenge to waste management systems,especially when sorting post-consumer plastic packaging. Their share in plastic packaging is stillunder vivid scientific discussion. The presented research provides evidence that the multilayerfilm content of the two-dimensional fraction of separately collected plastic packaging is about 24 w-%, or an estimated total of 6 w-% for the overall Austrian separately collected waste stream, respectively.