Recommended actions

Actions needed along the value chain of circular plastics

The regulatory focus continues to be in developing circular economy (CE) policies supporting scaling up usage of secondary raw materials. Preventing exports of waste supports the development of the European recycling sector, and could enable improved management of the quality of feedstocks. Green public procurement or mixing obligations communicated through eco-labels on products could increase public support for recycled plastic and support market development. There needs to be greater knowledge among consumers, producers and designers. To increase the efficiency of collection and end-of-life waste processing requires working with producer responsibility organisations, supported with eco-design choices when developing new products. Finally, the recycling sector needs to develop improved methods for plastics recycling, promoting feedstock upcycling rather than conversion to energy. 

Recommendations for increasing circularity in the plastic sector impacts the entire value chain. These need to be implemented in legislation, policies and standardisation activities.

Seven recommended actions

  • Prevent exports of plastics for recycling
    Promote the waste shipment directive to prevent exports of plastic waste from Europe; support the market uptake of secondary raw materials to facilitate increasing plastics recycling in Europe.

  • Increasing the knowledge base on design for recycling
    Support information sharing and increasing the knowledge base on design for recycling.

  • Introducing mixing obligations for certain products
    Introduce directives to include mixing obligations for certain products; support the recycling industry to ensure sufficient recycling capacity is available.

  • Positioning of pyrolysis recycling and solvent based recycling
    Support emerging recycling technologies through increasing awareness on these technologies.

  • Improving the efficiency of collection systems
    Develop waste recycling targets to support more efficient collection and processing; encourage sorting at site and more intensified segregation when possible.

  • End of Waste Policy
    Introduce EU wide end-of-waste criteria for plastics; improve harmonization of recyclate quality and requirements on feedstock origin and recyclate use in production.

  • Material Specific Recycling Targets
    Introduce material specific waste recycling targets in the waste directives.