Less than an eighth of materials used in Europe made from recycled waste

In 2021, just 11.7% of materials used in EU states came from recycled waste. Picture: Andrew Milligan

Less than an eighth of all materials used in Europe come from recycled waste, with rates barely increasing in the past two decades.

A new analysis from the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that the EU is not on track to double the current rate by 2030, with construction materials in particular not being used again in the so-called circular economy.