Plastics value chain restates commitment to circular economy package
Article posted on Plasticstoday.com on 21 November 2017. Written by Clare Goldsberry
Several associations representing various facets of Europe’s plastics industry are reaffirming their support to the Circular Economy Package. They include European Plastics Converters, Petcore Europe, the Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform and Plastics Recyclers Europe.
The above organizations support this joint position on the Circular Economy Package:
- Zero plastics to landfill by 2025. This will ensure that plastic waste can be used as a resource and does not end up in the environment.
- The 55% plastic packaging “preparing for re-use and recycling” target by 2025 is deemed challenging but the organizations are willing to continue to play their part and to call on other relevant stakeholders to act, too.
- Mandatory separate collection of all packaging from residual waste by 2025.
- The European Commission shall establish a uniform methodology for the calculation of the targets of “preparing for re-use and recycling” and the measurement point for recycling performance. Uniformity will set a level playing field for all actors on the market and enable an accurate overview of member states’ performance as well as meaningful comparisons.
- EU-wide quality standards for plastic waste and its treatment should be developed, including specifications for sorted waste, harmonization of test methods for recycled plastic materials and certification of plastic recycling operations.
- Innovation in technologies throughout the whole plastics value chain should be enhanced in order to increase its potential.