Europe Recycled Plastics Market Size, Share, Growth and Analysis Report 2026-2034

The Europe recycled plastics market size was 13.89 Million Tons in 2025 and is forecasted to reach 20.2 Million Tons by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% during 2026-2034. The market is propelled by environmental regulations, sustainable packaging demand, and extended producer responsibility programs enhancing recycling infrastructure and recycled material integration across industries such as packaging, automotive, and construction.

Study Assumption Years

Base Year: 2025

Historical Year/Period: 2020-2025

Forecast Year/Period: 2026-2034

Europe Recycled Plastics Market Key Takeaways

• The Europe recycled plastics market size reached 13.89 Million Tons in 2025.
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2026 to 2034.
• The forecast period spans from 2026 to 2034.
• Plastic bottles dominate the source segment with a 38% share due to strong deposit return schemes and recycling technologies.
• Packaging application accounts for 49% of the market, driven by sustainable packaging mandates.
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) leads the plastic type segment with a 42% share.
• Germany holds the largest country market share at 24%, supported by advanced waste management and manufacturing demand.

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Market Growth Factors

In Europe, demand for recycled plastics is driven by regulation and recycled content targets․ The European Single-Use Plastics Directive, for example, mandates the increasing use of recycled content in PET beverage bottles․ Member states face ambitious collection targets, ensuring enough material is available for recyclers․ The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation extends recycled content requirements to all plastic packaging, providing guaranteed demand and increasing infrastructure investment․

Corporate sustainability and demand for environment, social and governance (ESG) integration are among the drivers․ This is prominent among global companies in consumer packaged goods, packaging, and retail sectors, who support recycled content in packaging above legal minimums․ In addition to regulatory requirements, voluntary commitments can help recyclers increase their capacity and the quality of the materials they handle․ Sustainable packaging contributes to brand reputation and consumer loyalty and buying behavior․

Also, as collection infrastructure such as deposit return schemes are introduced, this creates more feedstock availability and better collection rates are realized compared to kerbside collections․ Germany has the world's most advanced deposit-return systems for bottles and cans: its collection rates exceed 98%․ Other European Union member states are planning similar systems and new sorting technologies to provide recyclers with high-quality feedstock that could encourage recycling markets in the future․

Market Segmentation

Source:

• Plastic Bottles: Constituting the largest source segment with 38% share in 2025, plastic bottles benefit from robust collection infrastructure and regulatory focus on single-use containers. Deposit return schemes across the EU have driven improved PET bottle recycling rates through enhanced collection programs and mature bottle-to-bottle recycling technologies.

Application:

• Packaging: Leading application with 49% share in 2025, driven by recycled content mandates within the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Major brands integrate recycled materials into bottles, trays, films, and flexible packaging to meet sustainability goals, supported by technological advances producing food-grade recyclate.

Plastic Type:

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): Dominates with 42% market share in 2025 due to excellent recyclability and collecting systems. PET's application in beverage packaging aligns with bottle-to-bottle recycling and mandatory recycled content thresholds.

Country:

• Germany: Leading country with 24% market share in 2025, supported by its world-class waste management infrastructure and effective deposit return system achieving over 98% collection for single-use containers. Regulatory expansions including milk/dairy bottles bolster volumes, alongside strong domestic manufacturing demand and recycling investments.

Regional Insights

Germany dominates the Europe recycled plastics market with a 24% share in 2025. The country’s advanced waste management system and best-in-class deposit return scheme deliver exceptional collection rates exceeding 98%. Expanding deposit requirements, stringent waste sorting regulations, and substantial investment in recycling infrastructure sustain Germany's leadership, meeting robust manufacturing demand and driving circular economy principles across Europe.

Key Players

• Veolia Environnement S.A.
• SUEZ S.A.
• Berry Global Inc
• LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.
• TotalEnergies SE
• Borealis AG
• Paprec Group
• Morssinkhof Rymoplast B.V.
• MBA Polymers, Inc
• Jayplas Ltd.

Customization Note

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