Packaging waste in the EU averaged 173 kg per person in 2023.

Omissions

• The official Eurostat value for 2023 is 177.8 kg per inhabitant, not 173 kg; 173 kg was the per-capita figure for around 2017-2018 (European Commission COM(2022) 677 cites 173 kg per capita for 2018).
• Eurostat data show that packaging waste generation DECREASED in 2023 (-8.7 kg / -4.7% vs 2022), which contradicts the claim's accompanying narrative of an 'explosive increase'. The growth narrative rests on longer-term historical trends and projections, not on the most recent data.
• The MEP presented an outdated per-capita figure as if it were the 2023 value.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Packaging waste statistics (Statistics Explained)In 2023, 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU. This corresponded to 177.8 kg per inhabitant, a reduction of 8.7 kg per inhabitant compared with 2022. In comparison to the previous year, the amount of packaging waste generated decreased by -4.7% to 177.8 kg per inhabitant in 2023.
• PrimaryEurostat — Plastic packaging waste in the EU: 35.3 kg per personIn 2023, 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU, or 177.8 kg per inhabitant. While this marks a reduction of 8.7 kg per inhabitant compared with 2022...
• PrimaryEUR-Lex — COM(2022) 677 final (Proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation)The annual production of packaging waste in 2018 was estimated at 173 kg per capita in the EU, an increase of 27 kg compared to 2009.