In Germany, over 37,000 tonnes of used agricultural plastics were collected and sent for recycling in 2025.

According to the nationwide take-back and recycling system for agricultural plastics in Germany, ERDE, the recycling of agricultural plastics saved around 37,042 tonnes of carbon dioxide last year. According to the figures, this amount corresponds to approximately 350 million kilometres driven by cars, the annual mileage of around 28,400 vehicles, or the carbon sequestration capacity of around 2.7 million trees. The system, in which manufacturers, under the umbrella of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen, work together with RIGK GmbH as the system operator, agricultural businesses, collection partners, recyclers and the agricultural trade, has also been further expanded, it is reported. With now over 700 collection points and more than 160 collection partners, it is said to offer agricultural businesses a comprehensive infrastructure for the return of used agricultural plastics. According to the information provided, the collection portfolio has been expanded to include greenhouse films and drip hoses.
 
“The results show that our system works in practice when all stakeholders pull together,” says Boris Emmel, system manager of the ERDE initiative. “The high level of participation from farms, retailers and collection points demonstrates that the circular economy is increasingly being put into practice in agriculture. Every piece of agricultural plastic returned helps to keep valuable raw materials in the cycle and to reduce the environmental burden in a sustainable way.”
 
The initiative’s goal remains to further increase collection volumes and to continuously expand the network along the agricultural value chain. And this extends beyond Germany: the initiative is increasingly involved in international exchanges on take-back and recycling systems for agricultural plastics, with a view to sharing best practices and further advancing the circular economy in the agricultural sector.
 
Sources:

• ERDE press release (14.4.2026)
• Image: © ERDE