EWC Code
Packaging waste (including separately collected municipal packaging waste)
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume
~84 Mt/year packaging placed on EU market; ~50 Mt/year collected for recycling
Valorisation Range
€0–350/tonne (clean recyclate grade)
Primary Route
Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Sorting
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Get contacts for EWC 15 01EWC 15 01 is the broadest packaging waste code, covering paper/cardboard (15 01 01), plastic (15 01 02), wood (15 01 03), metal (15 01 04), composite (15 01 05), mixed (15 01 06), glass (15 01 07), and textile (15 01 09) packaging. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, replacing Directive 94/62/EC) is currently under revision with significantly increased recycling targets: 70% for all packaging by 2030, including specific rates for plastics (55%), wood (30%), ferrous metals (80%), aluminium (60%), glass (75%) and paper/cardboard (85%).
Packaging waste is the most mature recyclate market in Europe with established commodity trading. OCC (Old Corrugated Containers, 15 01 01) achieved €50–150/tonne in EU secondary paper markets in 2023. Plastic packaging recyclate quality varies enormously by collection system — bottle-grade rPET reaches €600–900/tonne while mixed PE packaging film recovered at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) trades at €30–80/tonne depending on moisture and contamination.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes — Grüner Punkt in Germany, CITEO in France, PRO Europe network — fund collection infrastructure through packaging producer fees. PPWR introduces harmonised EPR modulation based on packaging recyclability score, creating a cost incentive for producers to design for recyclability from 2028.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 15 01, ranked by economic value and market depth. Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Sorting is the primary route.
Mixed packaging delivered to MRF — sorted by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, optical sorters, eddy current and magnetic separators into fibre, PET, HDPE, PP, aluminium and steel streams. Sorted bales sold to reprocessors. MRF output quality varies by input contamination; bottle-grade streams command highest value. UK, Netherlands, Austria MRFs achieve 90%+ sort accuracy on PET/HDPE.
Sorted packaging recyclate converted to secondary raw material by reprocessors (NACE 38.32): OCC to recycled pulp and board; rPET flake to food-grade recycled PET; aluminium UBC to secondary aluminium ingot. Closed-loop packaging: bottle-back-to-bottle for glass (Ardagh), aluminium (Novelis Evercan), PET (Closed Loop Group) achieves recycled-content premium from brand owner demand.
Residual non-recyclable packaging (multilayer laminates, contaminated flexibles) combusted in EfW/WtE plants. R1 energy recovery efficiency threshold (≥0.65 EU15 / ≥0.60 other MS per IED) qualifies as recovery operation (R1) rather than disposal (D10). SRF (solid recovered fuel) pelletised from clean rejected plastic fractions for cement kiln co-processing.
These are the established routes for EWC 15 01. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
PRO Europe scheme compliance schemes managing EPR-funded packaging collection infrastructure
MRF operators, packaging reprocessors and recyclate traders converting packaging waste to secondary raw materials
Plastic packaging manufacturers incorporating rPET, rHDPE and rPP recyclate under EU PPWR recycled-content mandates from 2030
Recycled fibre board mills consuming OCC (recycled cardboard) as primary furnish
Source: NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat, 2008
Key legislative frameworks governing EWC 15 01 classification, transport, and treatment.
Replaces Directive 94/62/EC. Targets: 70% all packaging recycled by 2030; specific material targets. Mandatory recycled content for plastic packaging from 2030 (30% for PET bottles, 10% for other plastic contact-food packaging). Bans on unnecessary single-use packaging formats from 2030. EPR modulation by recyclability score from 2028.
EU-wide EPR framework directive (2021) requires all member states to have producer-funded EPR schemes for packaging. EPR fee modulation by eco-design score (recyclability, recycled content, reuse potential) from 2025–2028. PRO Europe operates eco-modulated fee systems in 32 countries.
Regulation 2022/1616 governs recycled plastics for food-contact packaging. Only approved recycling technologies (decontamination validated processes) may produce recycled PET, HDPE or PP for direct food contact. Significant barrier to uptake of recycled content in food packaging despite demand.
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Sectors that valorise EWC 15 01 as an input material or secondary raw material.
Waste-stream pages and resources connected to EWC 15 01 valorisation.
Explore EU waste flows — Waste Atlas
Visualise 17 years of E-PRTR industrial facility data. See how EWC 15 01 and related waste streams flow across European industries and sectors.
Source: EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC · NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat 2008
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