Packaging not empty? Then recycling is pointless

Many Dutch people are unsure about how to dispose of their PMD packaging correctly. That’s the conclusion from a DVJ Insights survey of 1,053 participants, commissioned by Verpact. One in three admits to sometimes throwing away packaging that isn’t completely empty. A small act with major consequences: just one half-full container can make an entire PMD bag unrecyclable.

Only 55% of respondents are aware of this. At the same time, 74% say they usually empty packaging properly, though a quarter admits they sometimes skip that step. More than a third also—incorrectly—believes that packaging should be rinsed, which leads to unnecessary drinking water waste.

Crisp bag or aerosol can: does that count as PMD?

There’s a lot of confusion about which types of packaging do and don’t belong in the PMD bin. Especially with less obvious items, people often get it wrong. For example, 65% are unsure about aerosol cans for deodorant or hairspray, 64% about plastic tubs, and 50% about crisp bags with an aluminium lining.

Plastic bottles, foils, and yoghurt pots are correctly identified as PMD by more than 80% of respondents. On average, only 63% of the knowledge questions are answered correctly. When it comes to borderline cases, that percentage drops sharply. That’s why Verpact is launching the national campaign ‘As long as it’s empty’, to highlight the importance of emptying and properly separating packaging.

Post-separation remains unclear

In municipalities where PMD is extracted from general waste (post-separation), a third of residents suspect the waste still ends up being incinerated or dumped in landfill. In areas with source separation, 63% know that empty packaging is recycled.

Hester Klein Lankhorst, CEO of Verpact, says: “We see that many people believe their PMD waste all ends up in the same pile. That’s simply not true. Whether it’s collected through source or post-separation: empty packaging is recycled as thoroughly as possible.”

Verpact.nl