System results

During the period from 1997 until the end of 2011 the EKO‑KOM System has assured recovery and recycling of more than 5.5 million tons of packaging waste for its clients.

The EKO‑KOM System, which has fulfilled the terms of authorisation in the long-term, ensures that waste from used packaging is separated by the consumer, collected and subsequently undergoes final separation and is recovered as a reusable material. The EKO‑KOM System fulfils statutory obligations specified by EU guideline on behalf of its clients.

Development of numbers of municipalities and clients in the EKO‑KOM System

20,482 companies manufacturing or importing packaged goods currently offer their consumers a recovery network for recycling packaging within the scope of their statutory obligations. These companies cooperate with 5,993 Czech municipalities, which have a total of 10,457,137 inhabitants (98% of the whole population) using the EKO‑KOM System.

By means of an authorised packaging company these companies ensure recovery of separated waste as first-rate reusable materials, for which there is rational recovery in the Czech Republic or abroad. A fifth of household waste and two thirds of all packaging is recycled in the Czech Republic as a result of cooperation between industry, towns and municipalities. 

Clients of the EKO‑KOM System introduced 3,099,862 tons of packaging onto the market in 2011.

Structure of non-refundable packaging 2011

The percentage of individual materials used by clients of the EKO‑KOM System for packaging their products remains practically unchanged over the years and the material structure differs by simple per cent units in comparison to previous years.

Total quantity of recovered packaging waste

The quantity of recovered waste increases every year. In 2011 the EKO‑KOM, a.s. Company ensured utilisation and recycling of 621,273 tons of packaging waste on behalf of its clients.

Every month the EKO‑KOM System successfully recovery more than 50 thousand tons of household waste and industrial waste.

Attained level of recovery and recycling of packaging waste in 2011

As the graph indicates, paper makes up the greatest volume of recycled packaging in the Czech Republic, followed by glass, metal, plastic and beverage cartons. The total percentage of recycling of packaging waste by the EKO‑KOM System reached 72 percent. While in 2010 the EKO‑KOM System assured recovery and recycling of 503,144 tons of packaging waste, last year it assured recycling and recovery of 621,273 tons, approximately 3% more. The EKO‑KOM System also contributed to protection of the environment in the Czech Republic as well as fulfilling statutory obligations.

The average volume of separated waste per head in 2011 is 38.9 kg on average, which puts the Czech Republic in a leading position in Europe. The continuously increasing quantity of separated waste also shows that the separation system is adequately accessible, and inhabitants find it comprehensible and comfortable. More than 2/3 of CZ inhabitants are currently actively involved in waste separation!

The EKO‑KOM System also successfully achieves the level of recycling and recovery required by the Packaging Act as a result of supporting activities

• Apart from financing separate collection in municipalities, it also realises regional projects, which have two main goals. One of these is to provide technical support to municipalities during recovery and separation of packaging waste and the second is education of inhabitants and assurance of better awareness of waste separation and recycling.
• The goal of technical support is to provide inhabitants with a sufficiently dense recovery network and assure the improved quality of waste separation. The recovery network, which is now made up of more than 214,000 containers, was reinforced within the scope of the project for supporting intensification and higher quality of separate recovery.
• As of 2003 we have been developing cooperation with waste recovery facilities and processors of separated commodities for the purpose of assuring recovery and recycling. This cooperation assists fulfilment of recycling goals and improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the waste recycling system, including recycling of the packaging component. Before being processed more than 95% of separated waste is recovered and finally separated on final separation lines in the Czech Republic.
• The EKO‑KOM Company carries out regular analyses of the composition of separated and mixed waste to fulfil the requirement of current data on representation of the packaging component in mixed and separate municipal waste. On the basis of these analyses it determines the percentage of the packaging component in separate recovery of individual commodities, for which municipalities are paid a reward.
• From 2000 the EKO‑KOM, a.s. authorised packaging company has held an annual professional conference titled Waste and municipalities, at which representatives of municipalities and waste collection companies have the opportunity of acquiring new information about waste issues and meeting with experts in waste management.