Belgian waste management company Fost Plus gathered about 24.4 kilogrammes of plastic, metallic and cardboard (PMC) waste per person last year.
This was slightly more than in 2022, the company reported on Tuesday in its latest annual report.
It also disclosed that a whopping 97% of the 734,651 tonnes of packaging its members released onto the Belgian market was recycled; 78% within Belgium itself.
In its report, Fost Plus examined recycling rates for diverse packaging materials. The rate for plastic surged by 7%, reaching 68%. Its target is 70% by 2030.
For all other material types, recycling rates remained consistent with previous years, enabling Fost Plus to far exceed EU objectives across all waste categories.
PMC waste sorting is compulsory countrywide. The stakeholders’ concerted efforts are bearing fruit, with 26,000 tonnes of PMC waste collected from non-household sources in 2023, predominantly from commercial enterprises, according to Fost Plus.
The goal is to boost the collection rate outside of homes by 25% between 2024 and 2028.
The year “2023 marks the end of a grace period and signifies an essential year for the circular economy," Fost Plus CEO Wim Geens said. "Through straightforward sorting instructions and uniform collection scenarios, we have been optimising citizens’ role for 30 years – and it’s paying off.”
