While the European Commission has proposed granting equivalent status to chemical and mechanical recycling, economic and ecological issues are being raised by the European Plastics Recyclers, a European-based plastics recycling association.
The EU governments and the European Parliament have seen limited growth in the mechanical recycling. Main reasons being uncertain availability of good quality input material at a fair price and massive exports to the Far East.
Where mechanical recycling is considered by the EU as the more preferred economic recycling option, some growth opportunities have been delayed due to the limitations to enter certain markets.
Recent market situations in PET have cleared an acceleration to develop closed loop bottle applications, also because a large number of mechanical recycling technologies have been approved for food contact applications in EU countries.
EuPR welcomes this development and promotes this economic and ecological route and urges the Member States to create a harmonized legislation throughout the EU. The current development of a collection infrastructure in member states have been directed to fit to this market potential, which is based upon mechanical recycling capacities. Due to its large potential, time should be given to evaluate the growth of this development separate from other more costly and less ecological technologies such as chemical recycling.
EuPR is asking that the Commission’s proposal will grant an exclusive target of 20 percent for mechanical recycling. This will secure the current plastics recycling industry in Europe and stimulate the development of this cost effective and ecological route as is targeted in the Revision of the Packaging and packaging waste directive.