After a year of Belgian households using the new blue bag, nearly 23 kg of PMD was collected per person in 2022, according to a press release by Fost Plus, the non-profit organisation responsible for the selective collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste in Belgium.
Of the 765,000 tonnes of packaging put on the Belgian market by Fost Plus member packaging companies in 2022, 95% could be recycled, of which 81% was recycled in Belgium, the non-profit association said.
The non-profit extended the contents of the blue bag to include all packaging, instead of just bottles and containers as was initially the case, which saw nearly 90,000 tonnes of extra packaging put into the circular economy.
More local plastic sorting
In addition, Fost Plus stated that investment began in 2019 for five sorting stations in Belgium. These are all now "in operation and the first advanced recycling facilities are now running at full capacity". The centres across the country allow the PMD bags to be processed locally.
The centres are: Indaver (Willebroek), Prezero (Evergem), Valtris (Couillet), Val'Up (Ghlin) and Sitel (Engis).
According to Fost Plus' calculations, the recycling of household packaging in 2022 saved 875,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of 460,000 cars.
Another win was the addition of coffee capsules, and other beverage capsules, as from January 2023. Initially, the capsules were too small and ended up in the residual flow. However, Fost Plus stated that thanks to additional investment, the capsules can now be recovered as well.
Related News
- New Brussels rubbish collection calendar announced, orange bag use enforced
- Belgians improve recycling rate for fifth consecutive year
Subsequently, the coffee grounds and other residue as well as the plastic film are also removed and the aluminium is then ready to be used in new items and packaging.
Fost Plus announced on its website that they are working to include butter containers and shampoo bottles in the blue PMD bags soon as well.
