Nearly 38,500 tons of used crop plastics were recycled in Germany in 2022, according to the ERDE initiative.

 

This means that almost 18 percent more used products such as agricultural films, bale nets, yarns and nonwovens were recycled than in the previous year, explains the Initiative Erntekunststoffe Recycling Deutschland (ERDE). The initiative is a solution jointly supported by the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen and RIGK GmbH for the return and recycling of used plastics from agriculture. As a system operator it organizes with collection partners the separate take-back and recycling of used harvest plastics throughout Germany. According to ERDE, a total of around 76,000 metric tons of harvest plastics are currently produced annually in agricultural operations. By recycling, the initiative contributes to a more sustainable agriculture and more environmental protection, ERDE explains regarding the latest recycling figures. This is because if the carbon dioxide savings achieved by recycling the 38,476 metric tons of agricultural plastics recycled in 2022 were calculated, the CO2 equivalent would be 42,748 metric tons. This was an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year, is said.
 

Sources:

• ERDE press release (April 17, 2023)
• IK (April 20, 2023)
• Image: © ERDE