EuRIC’s plastics recycling branch published a roadmap on the future of the European plastics recycling industry. The association represents the interests of the European recycling industries next to EU institutions.
The roadmap advocates for five urgent measures to support the European plastics recycling industry which continues to grapple with low demand and competition from cheap imports.
Recycled content targets
EuRIC is demanding swift implementation of ‘pragmatic’ mandatory recycled content targets for plastics. It says these would stimulate demand for recycled materials and secure investments to scale up recycling capacity in Europe.
“Due to the growing imports from third countries, strong mechanisms for verification and traceability of recycled polymers, and the application of EU-equivalence rules are needed to protect the European recycling industry,” the document reads.
Incentives
EuRIC argues that incentives, whether market or tax-based, are needed to bridge the price gap between virgin and recycled plastics. This includes fiscal incentives in the form of lower VAT rates for products made of recycled plastics, and eco-modulation of EPR fees, amongst others.
Collection targets
Introducing mandatory collection targets and design-for-recycling criteria would enhance the quantity and quality of inputs to recycling processes. Increasing collection (quantity) and recyclability (quality) of the inputs to the recycling processes are key to delivering high-quality recycled materials, EuRIC stated.
End-of-Waste criteria
With the new restrictions on plastic waste exports, a well-functioning market for recycled plastics in the EU is imperative, the association argues. Establishing harmonised EU End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for plastics is crucial for better reintroducing high-quality recycled products into new products.
Restricted substances
Finally, EuRIC argues that EU institutions need to strike ‘the right balance between precautionary measures and responsible risk management’. It claims that if thresholds for restricted substances are reduced to levels that available industrial-scale analytical tools and quality control methods cannot detected, plastics recycling may stop altogether.