Plastics recycling efforts in Europe gain momentum

More than 100 public and private partners have signed on to the European Union’s Circular Plastics Alliance. The goal of the alliance is to promote plastics recycling and responsible waste management throughout Europe.

The official Declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which endorses the target set by in 2018 by the European Commission of using at least 10 million metric tons of recycled plastics in manufacturing new products by 2025, was signed by representatives of local and national authorities, small businesses and large corporations, business associations, standards bodies and research organizations. It details the steps that signatories should take to achieve the target and accelerate the shift towards zero plastic waste, including:

• amending the design of plastic products to facilitate recycling;
• integrating recycled plastics more fully into the design and manufacture of new products;
• creating an agenda for research and development of a circular plastics system;
• determining which areas of the plastics supply chain need greater investment to maximize circularity;
• identifying ‘untapped potential’ for greater recycling efforts and plastic waste collection; and
• developing a reliable, transparent monitoring system to oversee plastic waste flows across the EU.

Markus Steilemann, CEO of the Germany based polymer company Covestro (www.covestro.com), one of the signatory companies, says, “High-quality plastics are practically indispensable in our age—for renewable energies, for example, in electronics and medical technology, for transport and construction. After they have been used, they must be recycled in the sense of closed loop recycling and must thus be put to new uses.

“The transformation from linear to circular systems, however, can only be achieved with the support of many partners from different sectors. The foundation of the Circular Plastics Alliance is an important step in this direction. Europe can provide impetus here worldwide,” he continues.

Also signing onto the alliance was the European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD), Brussels. The association notes that by signing the Circular Plastics Alliance’s Declaration, FEAD brings its expertise and input to the discussion, integrating the private waste management industry’s views, and pushing for the development of a high-quality recycled polymers market.

In a statement following the signing of the initiative, Jean-Marc Boursier, FEAD president, says, “Such instruments are able to deliver strong market signals, as demonstrated by the adoption of mandatory recycled content in plastic bottles in the recently adopted SUP (Single-Use Plastics) Directive, even if the latter has not even come into force yet. At a time where exports of sorted materials are questioned, a shock on demand in Europe is still needed for all plastic waste streams to ensure a high collection and plastic recycling rate.”

The signatories agreed to focus on five topics:

• collection and sorting of plastic;
• product design for recycling;
• recycled plastic content in products;
• R&D and investments, including in chemical recycling; and
• monitoring of recycled plastics sold in the EU.

To view the full declaration, click here.