Recycling rates in the EU-15 for municipal waste, total packaging waste and key packaging waste fractions

For years 1998-2006 raw values for recycling rates for packaging materials were taken directly from the source. For years 2007-2009 recycling rates of the key packaging materials were calculated by dividing the amount of packaging waste materials recycled each year by the waste generation for that material fdor that year then multiplied by 100 to give a percentage. For the calculation of the recycling rates of municipal waste, a similar methodology was used. The amount of municipal waste recycled (excl. composting) is added to the amount of municipal waste composted in a given year and the sum is divided by the total generation of municipal waste at that year. The result is multiplied by 100 in order to obtain the percentage of municipal waste recycled. 

Percent