Issued by 2027 Magazine

Towards a Collection and Recycling Scheme for Agricultural Plastics in Belgium

Collection Schemes

Author: Kelly Claeys, Project Manager, Recydata

Farmers, producers, public authorities and waste operators increasingly agree that Belgium needs to improve its collection and recycling system for agricultural plastics. Following a dedicated study, this article describes how things currently stand.

A study to map the way forward

A large part of agricultural plastics is technically recyclable, yet a significant share never reaches a recycling plant. Contamination with soil and crop residues, fragmented regional organisation, and the absence of a stable funding model stand in the way. Every year, an estimated 20,000 tonnes of agricultural plastics (of which mainly wrapping and silage film) are placed on the Belgian market, of which only 37% is collected today.

This is the reason why, with support from the Walloon government, Recydata conducted this study, running from April to December 2025, to explore the feasibility of a voluntary collection and recycling system for agricultural plastics in Belgium, ahead of any binding legislation. The study mapped current volumes placed on the market, assessed today’s collection and processing routes, benchmarked some of the EPR systems already running abroad (ERDE in Germany, A.D.I.VALOR in France, IFFPG in Ireland, and the emerging Dutch model), and developed a concrete proposal for a Belgian scheme.

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