NEWS


EURIC calls on EU for end-of-waste criteria


The EU’s proposed Circular Economy Act – which has been announced by Jessika Roswall, the new Commis- sioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy – aims to create market demand for recycled materials and establish a single market for waste. In response to the announcement, the Euro- pean Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EURIC) said the development and introduction of harmonised end-of-waste (EoW) criteria for plastic waste, in accord- ance with Article 6 of Directive 2008/98/EC, is essential in achieving a truly


Jessika Roswall, the EU’s new Commissioner for a Competi- tive Circular Economy


circular economy in Europe. “EU-wide EoW criteria, specifying when plastic waste ceases to be waste, is imperative and essential to create a level playing field,


eliminate market barriers, and foster trust in recycled materials,” the organisation said in a joint statement with FEAD, EERA and Plastics Recyclers Europe. “This is particularly important in the current context of low demand of recycled plastic and low prices of virgin plastic, together with ambitious recycled content targets. Moreover, the new waste export rules, banning plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries as of 2026, will create a surplus of waste available in the EU, which will intensify the need for a strong internal EU market for recycled plastics.” � https://euric-aisbl.eu


Covestro announces PU recycling


Covestro has announced plans to build a pilot plant for the chemical recycling of elastomers, including Vulkollan PU, at its site in Leverkusen, Germany. The investment is in the ‘double- digit million’ euro range and estimated to take about one year, it said. The company says the


development marks a crucial step towards achieving sustainability in the elasto- mers industry as the technology used enables it to recycle a mass fraction of more than 90% of end-of-life material like forklift tyres. The pilot plant will play a


crucial role in refining the process beyond lab scale


and testing it with various waste streams.


It will also serve as a


platform for Covestro to engage with potential project partners and customers, paving the way for the development of a larger commercial recycling plant in the future. � www.covestro.com


RecyClass updates guidelines


Following 18 testing campaigns commissioned in 2024, RecyClass has strengthened its Recycla- bility Evaluation protocols and Design for Recycling guidelines to address the impact of various packag- ing features on recycling streams. Specifically, small-size packaging, rigid rolling behaviour, and the impact of various decora- tions were assessed with sorting a primary focus. Updates include revisions within the laminating adhesive section and the inclusion of PVOH as limited compatible with the PE recycling stream for coloured flexible PE. Additionally, for rigid packaging, EVA is now recognised as fully compatible with HDPE recycling, and the recom- mendation on PO foamed liners has been extended to the PP stream. Paolo Glerean, Chair-


man of RecyClass, said it is crucial to implement standards that enhance the recyclability of plastic packaging. � https://recyclass.eu


Increase in German packaging recycling rates


Germany achieved a positive mile- stone in 2023 by recycling more packaging than the previous year. This was announced by the German Environment Agency and the Central Agency Packaging Register at a press conference on 21 January, where it was also revealed the German waste


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management sector collected, sorted, and recycled more than 5.5m tonnes of packaging waste in 2023. Statutory recycling quotas have


increased significantly since 2018, with dual systems meeting five out of the eight target rates. Some quotas have been exceeded, while for plastics there


PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | January/February 2025


are two separate quotas: one for mechanical recycling, and another that includes both recycling and energy recovery. Figures show the share of plastic packaging undergoing mechan- ical recycling increased from 42.1% to 68.9% between 2018 and 2023. � www.umweltbundesamt.de


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: EU COMISSION


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