Europe risks falling short of achieving its legally binding and newly proposed recycling and recycled content targets if urgent measures are not taken to alleviate the pressure on plastic recyclers, warns Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE). 

The European plastics recycling market has been “heavily” destabilized since the beginning of 2023. Recyclate prices have lowered by up to 50% and cheap material imports from outside the EU have increased. 

Packaging Insights sits down with a PRE spokesperson who tells us that robust traceability mechanisms, such as third-party certification schemes for recycled polymers, must be introduced to reduce pressure on European recyclers. 

“This [third-party certification] would prevent the European recycling industry from a legislative loophole since they will work as proof of compliance with the regulatory requirements set on the EU market for EU and outside the EU players.”

“The current system relies on self-declarations regarding the claims on products with recycled content. This, in turn, endangers the competitiveness of EU industries and puts in jeopardy the Green Deal’s objectives, the targets set (Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD)) or to be set in the upcoming legislation (including the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation),” says the spokesperson.

PRE says the main challenge for boosting the European plastics recycling market is systemic barriers, including low collection rates. Less barriers, more standards
According to the PRE spokesperson, the main challenge for boosting the European plastics recycling market is systemic barriers, such as low collection rates. 

“Harmonized and separate collection systems across the EU are among the solutions to overcome those challenges,” they say. 

Another challenge the organization identifies is the lack of recyclability standards to ensure plastic waste can be used in high-end applications.

Ton Emans, PRE president, comments: “The future of the recycling industry is at stake, and immediate action in the form of enforcement measures is needed to avoid a shutdown of recycling plants across Europe.”

“Ceasing recycling activities would have knock-on effects on jobs, the overall economy in Europe and the environment.” 

The declining market situation applies to all recycled polymers and is best represented in the PET industry. Due to the lack of a level-playing field, PET imports to the EU have increased by 20% from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023, resulting in low demand for EU-made recycled PET (rPET). 

The environmental organization finds that these “disruptive” market dynamics led to an estimated 10% decrease in rPET over the same period.

Same rules for all actorsPRE says there is a risk that imported plastic materials enter the EU market without adequate verification, leading to unequal requirements for food-contact safety.
With the targets set by the SUPD nearing, the pressure to boost the use of recycled content in PET beverage bottles is high. But rather than supplying the demand with rPET produced in Europe, this pressure has led to “non-transparent” imports from non-European countries.

When asked whether rPET imports should be reduced or prohibited, the spokesperson says there is a lack of level playing field. “To give an example, EU recyclers are subject to robust EU legislation on food contact. However, there is a risk that the materials enter the EU market without adequate verification and therefore are not subject to the same requirements,” they explain.

“The introduction of a mechanism that would require verification of the imported goods would create the same rules for all actors in the value chain. In the EU, voluntary-based, third-party checked certification systems based on the chain of custody model to ensure the traceability of recycled plastics are already being adopted by the industry,” they explain.

The spokesperson adds that these third-party checked certification systems are setting a good example: “Without a third-party audited certification for traded goods, it is impossible to ascertain the origin, traceability and levels of recycled polymers and therefore ensure a level playing field.”

Legislation has proved itself to be an effective instrument for establishing a circular plastic future. However, enforcement measures are a must for its effective implementation, says PRE. The organization warns that without such measures, Europe risks untraceable, unverified imports of plastics undermining its recycling targets.