PlasticsEurope’s reaction to the Strategy for Plastics
PlasticsEurope welcomes the publication by the European Commission of "A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy”. PlasticsEurope supports the creation of a joint vision for a truly circular and resource efficient Europe, the promotion of actions aimed at tackling plastics leakage into the environment, increasing recycling and re-use and boosting innovation.
The Strategy calls for the adoption of harmonized rules to ensure that by 2030 all plastic packaging placed on the EU market can be reused, recycled and are not littered. "We, the European plastics manufacturers, are committed to ensure high rates of reuse and recycling with the ambition to reach 60% for plastic packaging by 2030. This will help achieve our goal of 100% reuse, recycling and recovery of all plastics packaging at European level by 2040”, said Karl-H. Foerster, Executive Director of PlasticsEurope.
In order to support the ambitious recycling goals, the Strategy for Plastics stresses the need to discourage the landfilling of plastics waste and recognises that effective waste management systems are key to avoid littering and ensure that collected waste finds its way to proper treatment. "This is a step in the right direction as no plastic should end up in the environment”, noted Mr. Foerster. "Since 2011, the European plastics industry has been calling for Zero Plastics to Landfill. Only a legally binding landfill restriction on all recyclable and other recoverable post-consumer waste will put an end to the landfilling of all waste which can be used as a resource”.
Overall, the Strategy aims at increasing the level of harmonization across the European Union of rules governing environmental and economic aspects of plastics. PlasticsEurope stresses that such an approach should be maintained when it comes to initiatives put forth by the Strategy which aim at reducing the littering of single use plastics. These measures, should be proportional, effective and harmonised at EU level.