The EU’s latest Circular Economy Package is here, but the waste and recycling industry is sounding the alarm.
While the European Commission’s “Winter Package” aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, specifically focusing on plastics, industry leaders warn it misses the mark on the most urgent challenges facing recyclers today.
The Reality Check: Europe’s plastic recycling sector is currently facing its deepest downturn on record:
With high energy costs, volatile virgin plastic prices, and unfair competition from third countries, the industry is at a breaking point.
Experts predict a net decrease of one million tonnes of recycling capacity by the end of 2025 if immediate action isn’t taken. 📉
Why the Industry is Concerned:
– The “Made in Europe” Gap: Trade bodies like FEAD and Plastics Recyclers Europe are calling out the lack of a clear “European sourcing” requirement. Without it, mandatory recycled content targets may simply be met by cheap imports, undermining domestic infrastructure.
– Timing is Everything: While the package includes good long-term measures (like PET bottle rules and end-of-waste criteria), it lacks the immediate, concrete support needed to help recyclers survive right now.
– Export Bans vs. Domestic Capacity: As the ban on EU plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries kicks in, the industry needs a robust internal market to handle the volume.
The Go Green Now Take:
– Circular economy goals are only as strong as the infrastructure that supports them.
– To truly “close the loop,” we need policies that prioritise post-consumer waste collected and recycled within Europe.
– We can’t build a sustainable future if we allow our domestic recycling capacity to erode. It’s time for the EU to bridge the gap between ambitious targets and the economic reality on the ground.
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