A. How is the plastic collected for recycling?
For plastics: There is end-consumer waste and industrial waste. Industrial waste has usually a higher purity. End-consumer waste is separated in paper, plastics/ metals, residual waste, organic waste. The plastics/ metals are used for the further described recycling steps. This is later called PCR material (Post-consumer waste recyclate). Every contamination with other types of waste may result in less quality of the recyclate, depending on the type of contamination.
A separate system is the deposit PET-bottle collection and subsequently recycling.
For glass: It is collected in separate bins, mostly together with the caps (metal or plastic).
Different ways of collecting per EU member state (source: adapted, https://ec.europa.eu, Assessment of separate collection schemes in the 28 capitals of the EU, 15.11.2015):
Due to the rapid evolution of the sustainability into the packaging sector as well as local differences of recycling processes and law, information provided within this document are for information only.
We advise you to check your local regulation’s update.