European plastics production down, recycling up

European plastics production decreased and recycling went up in 2018, according to data published by trade association PlasticsEurope on Thursday. 

Last year, plastics production worldwide reached 359 million tonnes, an increase of 11 million on 2017 levels. But in Europe, which produces 17% of global plastics, the amount decreased to 61.8 million tonnes, down from 64.4 in 2017. Packaging, construction and the automotive sectors have the largest demand for end-use plastic, the reports says.