The European plastics recycling industry is in an existential crisis. The industry association Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) is appealing to the EU to urgently address the situation in order to prevent the closure of recycling companies, the majority of which are small and medium-sized. Many companies were already driven out of business in 2023, with further closures happening or planned in 2024, PRE said.
A clear signal from the EU is now needed in the association's view to put the industry on a stable footing and ensure a sustainable circular future.
PRE attributes the downturn to a combination of factors including the increasing lack of demand for recyclates produced in Europe, the reduced investments in domestic recycling, and "the worrying increase in imports of polymers from outside the EU with questionable claims of recycled content and no effective verification and traceability measures in place".
The downward trend in the European plastics recycling market is alarming, according to the association. "This situation undermines the progress and investments made to improve recycling processes. Many recyclers are struggling to survive in a market flooded with uncontrolled imports that fall short of EU requirements", commented Ton Emans, the president of PRE.
The industry association calls on the EU to restrict market entry for imports that fail to meet the European Union's environmental requirements, as recommended in the report on EU Competitiveness authored by Mario Draghi: "Creating a level playing field will be key to making the green transition sustainable and safeguarding the competitiveness of the EU’s industry in the long run."
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