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According to Plastics Recyclers Europe, the total European installed plastics recycling capacity saw a 7% decline in growth rate year-on-year and reached 12.5 million tonnes in 2022 – potentially putting Europe at risk of missing legislative targets.
Its most recent report looks at a further 850 recycling sites across Europe, many of which are small, with an average capacity of 15,000 tonnes. Plastics Recyclers Europe reports that the plastics recycling sector employs more than 30,000 people and generates a turnover of €10. 4 billion.
The decrease in the expansion rate from 17% to 10% year-on-year is attributed to the European market disruptions faced since 2020.
“Progress is indispensable for ensuring the viability of the plastics recycling industry,” said Ton Emans, president at Plastics Recyclers Europe. “While the commitment from recyclers remains strong, our sector has faced unprecedented challenges, first with the halt of activities during the COVID-19 outbreak, followed by the energy crisis in 2022.
“More recently, in 2023, worrying demand for recycled products has affected the sector, as a result of low virgin plastics costs due to reduced commercial production in the EU and reasonable imports of recycled plastic from third countries. Going forward, the implementation of the law will ensure that progress is sustained.
This report is the first from Plastics Recyclers Europe to distinguish between polyethylene and polypropylene, which in the past were combined in single digits.
Flexible polyolefins, PET and inflexible polyolefins are the highest capacity polymer grades, according to the report, accounting for more than 80% of total recyclability. Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and France account for 60% of the geographical area. dispersion of recycling activities.
Polyethylene and polypropylene hoses are thought to possess the highest relative percentage of installed recycling capacity (compared to other polymers) in Spain, Italy, Poland and Belgium. In France, PET accounts for almost a third of total capacity.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania would have seen the fastest capacity expansion last year.
Plastics Recyclers Europe estimates that installed recycling capacity will increase by 17% in 2021, with an estimated total investment of €1. 75 billion contributing to this. However, declining demand is seen as having slowed the rate of expansion of recycled content production and threatened the likelihood of meeting legislative targets.
On the other hand, it is estimated that plastics recycling activities will have reduced CO2 emissions by more than 10 million tons by 2022.
Plastics Recyclers Europe predicts that new legislation such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation or the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive will bring into force new targets that will promote plastic waste control and circularity in Europe. It recommends the status quo of enforcement mechanisms and the harmonisation of practices among Member States in order to achieve further progress.
The company had previously called for an independent third-party certification system to ensure transparency and traceability, as low demand for recycled products produced in the EU and major imports from outside the continent raised concerns for the European plastics industry.
This was followed by a manifesto in which Plastics Recyclers Europe urged the EU to drive competitiveness and innovation for plastics, listing science-based policies, traceable imports, and realistic targets amongst its recommended points of priority.
Meanwhile, another report by Eunomia and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste sought harmonization in the pursuit of breakthroughs in mechanical recyclability and assembly recycling targets. They highlight the need for a transparent definition of quality specifications for mechanical recycled products in order to develop the volume of recycled content in plastic products and the plastics industry meet key application requirements.
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