“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is one of those unforgettable chants. It makes its way into our brains and can affect our actions in the real world. All of us would readily admit we’d like to reduce waste.

Despite packaging waste having risen over the past decade, seven EU countries achieved the 2030 goal of recycling at least 70% of all packaging waste as early as 2023. More than 79 million tonnes of ...