Our Approach
We, as a united plastics industry, commit to ambitious voluntary actions per polymer type, provided the EU Institutions (EU Commission, European Parliament, and EU Council) are able to recognize, monitor the progress at EU level and ensure that important EU regulatory initiatives with a major positive impact on the plastics industry in Europe will be developed in the next decades.
The EU plastics industry is not able to achieve these ambitious targets on its own. To truly develop a more circular plastics industry, to improve its competitiveness and to create jobs and growth in Europe, we need the support and collaboration of the EU authorities. We call upon the European Commission to prioritise the following EU regulatory measures:
1
A full implementation of all EU waste directives in the European Union by 2030.
2
Maintenance of the EU internal market (including for single use plastics) as a legal basis for the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive after the ongoing revision process.
3
Secure the full potential of plastics recycling of longer life applications into controlled loops by a risk-based approach with traceability of legacy additives.
4
Unlock as soon as possible (9 years after it came into force) the EU “administrative” situation regarding the finalisation and full implementation of the Food Contact Regulation 282/2008.
Under the above conditions, we, as an industry in Europe, agree to implement the following voluntary actions, additionally to the other already existing EU legal compliance requirements:
We agree to financially contribute to each of the EU circular polymer platforms/value chain initiatives. Furthermore, we agree to set up appropriate, evolving and ambitious targets to increase recycling and develop quality standards for recyclates.
We will work in all circular polymer platforms and value chain initiatives jointly with all stakeholders such as architects, brand owners or specifiers to ensure a wider development of our activity and a common understanding of the important goals set.
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee will be composed of senior members from the European Commission, European Parliament, Academia, NGOs, civil society and representatives of each of the specific polymer platforms as well as the plastics industry representatives at EU level. Its role will be to evaluate the progress on a yearly basis with regard to the above 4 EU regulatory requirements.
Our Vision
The challenging voluntary commitments will enable the plastics industry to strive for the best possible solutions to maximise the potential of the different polymer types for a more circular economy. Thanks to strong collaborations across the whole value chain, the participating companies and associations will ensure that a new dimension for a more sustainable plastics economy is created in Europe. These specific efforts will form the core of the activities of the European Plastics Industry.