The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has assessed a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030. 70%. These changes are needed to help attain the new recycling targets. 75%. 60%. Press Releases . News. In light of the new recycling targets set out in the 2017 Spring Budget, a comparison of recycling in the UK with the rest of Europe feels appropriate. By 2015, separate collection for at least paper, metal, plastic and glass must be set up. This report provides a state of play of the current market and additionally highlights challenges that need to be overcome for a successful circular economy transition. The previous round of targets were announced in Budget 2012 and covered the five-year period form 2013-17. 80%. The EU’s ambition to improve its plastic packaging recycling reflects the scale of the environmental challenge that plastics pose. This posts looks at the Recycling targets and rates across Europe and then focusses on two countries. This, combined with the lack of capacity to treat this waste within the EU, constitutes another risk to achieving the new targets, warn the auditors. However, given the challenges and gaps to be overcome, EU Member States may not meet the new targets. The circular economy is a key priority of the EU’s European Green Deal which has set a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Clariant says it is committed to the alliance’s goal to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tons by 2025. More plastic waste is incinerated than recycled in Europe, which the auditors attributed to a lack of facilities. By 2025, separate collection for textiles and by 2023 separate collection for bio-waste must be set up. The phase out of problematic and … Author: Mark Victory. The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU. Uzbekistan’s Nuclear Project: Expensive, and Environmentally Unsound. Strasbourg – The European Union has unveiled plans for all plastic packaging in Europe to be recyclable by 2030 and to phase out single-use plastic like coffee cups to fight pollution. Single-use plastic products are more likely to end up in our seas than reusable options. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has assessed a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030. Meanwhile back in April, researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory used satellites to detect patches of floating macroplastics in marine environments, which could help to aid ocean clean-ups. BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is facing a growing waste problem and is at risk of missing its plastic recycling targets for 2025 and 2030 as … This report provides a state of play of the current market and additionally highlights challenges that need to be overcome for a successful circular economy transition. paper, glass, metals, plastics) of waste. Kate Abnett. Packaging alone, such as yogurt pots or water bottles, accounts for about 40 % of plastic use and over 60 % of plastic waste generated in the EU. There is a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030, according to a review by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). It added that the targets refer ‘solely to recycling’, so evidence of recovery via PRNs from energy from waste plants will no longer be needed for 2021 and 2022. Manufacturers and industry organisations have also made efforts to set collection and recycling targets. Learn more about IET cookies and how to control them, EU’s plastic recycling targets slipping away, auditors warn, Europe produced 29 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste, more than 60 per cent of which was packaging. The new calculation methods should provide a more reliable picture of the actual share of plastic packaging being recycled. The company’s focus is on addressing the obstacles that are hampering a higher circularity of products within the plastics value chain, in line with the waste hierarchy principles. It is estimated that this could lead to a significant drop in reported recycling rates, from the current figure of 42 % to barely 30 %. Company News . Significant risk of EU missing plastic recycling targets. By 2030. Clariant is committed to the alliance’s goal to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tonnes by 2025. Each country is free to choose how they act upon the EU Directive. Press Releases . This could mean that the EU bloc will struggle to reach its target recycling rate for plastic packaging of 50 per cent by 2025 and 55 per cent by 2030. The EU has set a municipal waste reuse or recycling target of 50 per cent in two years’ time for all member states, but over a dozen countries are at risk of not accomplishing this goal. With the current EU recycling capacity for HDPE and PP at 1.2Mt for post-consumer and additional 0.5Mt for pre-consumer waste, the recycling facilities can treat roughly 18% of rigid polyolefin waste. paper, glass, metals, plastics) of waste. There would be separate targets for specific materials: By 2025. Support for recycling targets. We use cookies to give you the best online experience. BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is facing a growing waste problem and is at risk of missing its plastic recycling targets for 2025 and 2030 as … How we produce and dispose of plastic is about to undergo radical overhaul due to a requirement to increase plastic packaging recycling by up to 80 per cent before 2030. A Risso’s dolphin entagled in a fishing line and plastic … Plastic Recycling. Flexible Films Market in Europe: State of Play 2020 . Last year, the European Federation of Bottled Waters, which represents around 600 natural mineral and spring water producers, set targets to use an average of at least 25% rPET in plastic bottles and collect 90% of all PET bottles by 2025. Concerted action is thus needed to get the EU to where it wants to be in just 5 to 10 years’ time, the auditors say. 07 October, 2020 By Marino Donati. 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There is a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030, according to a review by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Nearly a third of the EU’s reported plastic packaging recycling rate is achieved through shipments to non-EU countries for recycling. 30%. EU defines 70% recycling target for 2030 to promote circular economy Recent EU proposals aim to boost recycling targets, create jobs in the green industries and tackle food waste in order to transform the current linear economy into a circular economy and promote sustainable growth. 65%. Case Studies . All packaging. There is a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030, according to a review by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The circular economy package: new EU targets for recycling . McGeough added: “By introducing a specific EU Plastics Strategy, the EU Commission has identified that plastic and plastic pollution is an area that needs focused attention and definitive action. BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is facing a growing waste problem and is at risk of missing its plastic recycling targets for 2025 and 2030 as … In July, figures showed that the number of single-use plastic bags distributed by big supermarkets across England had fallen by more than 95 per cent since a 5p charge was introduced in 2015. Member States are highly reliant on non-EU countries to manage their plastic packaging waste and reach their recycling targets. “To meet its new recycling targets for plastic packaging, the EU must reverse the current situation, whereby we incinerate more than we recycle. M. ore plastic waste is incinerated than recycled in Europe, which the auditors attributed to a lack of facilities. 75%. EU defines 70% recycling target for 2030 to promote circular economy Recent EU proposals aim to boost recycling targets, create jobs in the green industries and tackle food waste in order to transform the current linear economy into a circular economy and promote sustainable growth. EU plastics recycling targets at risk. However, some EU countries have already enacted domestic measures, such as plastic bottle deposit return schemes in Germany and Slovakia. 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted. Significant risk of EU missing plastic recycling targets. Reaching these targets would be a significant step towards achieving the EU’s circular economy goals. "However, it's worth noting that the EU's target for recycled plastic in all PET beverage bottles is more modest than targets announced by industry, with a number of big brands targeting 50% use of recycled PET in their beverage bottles by 2030. DEFRA said “there is no longer a target for recovery of packaging waste and so no recovery obligation for 2021 and 2022” in line with the EU Directive on packaging and packaging waste. The update of the legal framework for plastic recycling in 2018 reflects the EU’s increased ambitions and could help boost recycling capacity. Current figures are far from being accurate or comparable across Member States. The update of the legal framework for plastic recycling in 2018 reflects increased EU ambitions and could help boost recycling capacity. 2020/10/08. The Commission is planning to revise the packaging design rules (‘essential requirements’), which at present are deemed unenforceable in practice. It is also the type of packaging with the lowest recycling rate in the EU (slightly over 40 %). 50% of average recycled content included in packaging (revised from 30% in 2020). BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is facing a growing waste problem and is at risk of missing its plastic recycling targets for 2025 and 2030 as … But the more rigorous reporting requirements could see the EU's official plastic recycling rate drop from 42% currently, to around 30%, it warned -- leaving an even bigger gap with the new targets. Countries can choose from four alternative calculation methods to measure progress towards the target (EU, 2011). M ore plastic waste is incinerated than recycled in Europe, which the auditors attributed to a lack of facilities. Share. The Commission will propose new rules next year to help ensure all packaging is reusable or recyclable by 2030. “Feedstock recycling is therefore necessary if we are to meet both the EU’s legally binding plastics packaging recycling target of 55% by 2030 and to deliver possible binding European targets on recycled content,” adds Carsten. A Finnish Company Solves a Problem That Is Shared Globally. 70%. Nearly one-third of all plastic packaging that Europe currently recycles is shipped abroad for processing. While the response from the British plastics industry to the UK Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan was characterised by caution and sought to heavily emphasise the importance of plastic, the European plastics industry has greeted the EU plastics strategy with almost unfettered enthusiasm. This could mean that the EU bloc will struggle to reach its target recycling rate for plastic packaging of 50 per cent by 2025 and 55 per cent by 2030. Author: Mark Victory. Find out what the legally binding goals and deadlines are. There is a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030, according to a review by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Significant risk of EU missing plastic recycling targets. The EU and national governments also need to better enforce laws on illegal waste disposal, Jereb said, adding: “If there is a possibility to avoid these rules with illegal actions, and there is no dissuading with appropriate sanctions, of course, crime will flourish.”, A European Commission spokeswoman added: “Significant efforts are needed in order to deal with plastic waste and pollution and to ensure the overall sustainability of plastics.”. © 2018 EU Political Report. New and more accurate recycling reporting rules and a tightening of plastic waste export rules will reduce the EU’s reported recycling rate. 07 October, 2020 By Marino Donati. Please let us know if you agree to all of these cookies. The new circular economy package sets out ambitious recycling and landfilling targets for the EU. Also envisaged is a common EU target for recycling 65% of packaging waste by 2025, and 70% by 2030. Until now, member states have measured the quantity of plastic reported at different points in the collection/sorting/recycling process - which resulted in an inaccurately-reported recycling rate. Significant and concerted action is required, urge the auditors, if the EU is to almost double the amount of plastic packaging waste it recycles by 2030. LONDON (ICIS)—The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has assessed a significant risk that the EU will not meet its plastic packaging recycling targets for 2025 and 2030. The EU’s environment commissioner has also warned that the Covid-19 pandemic could increase litter in the form of disposable masks and gloves. Recycle Glass. The EU’s ambition to improve its plastic packaging recycling reflects the scale of the environmental challenge that plastics pose.