Ref. Ares(2018)1373834 - 13/03/2018
Ref. Ares(2018)2088812 - 19/04/2018
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Plastics Packaging2040
PlasticsEurope’s Voluntary Commitment
to increasing circularity and resource efficiency
1
link to page 3 link to page 5 link to page 6 link to page 6 link to page 6 link to page 6 link to page 7 link to page 7 link to page 7 link to page 7 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 11 link to page 11 link to page 12
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Section I – General Commitments ................................................................................................. 6
1. Preventing Plastics Litter in the Environment ............................................................... 6
1.1 Actions to Prevent Pellet Loss ............................................................................................. 6
1.2 Actions to Prevent Littering .................................................................................................. 6
2. Improving Resource Efficiency and Accelerating Innovation to Increase
Circularity ......................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Accelerate using Alternative Feedstocks ........................................................................... 7
2.2 Facilitate Future Resource Efficiency Gains ..................................................................... 7
3. Creating Global Awareness ................................................................................................. 8
Section II – Sector Specific Commitments .................................................................................. 9
1. Increasing Plastics Packaging Recycling and Re-use ................................................. 9
Section III - A Regulatory Framework for Success ................................................................. 11
1. EU Regulatory Support ....................................................................................................... 11
2. EU Funding ............................................................................................................................ 12
2
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Executive Summary
The European Commission aims to transform Europe into a more circular and resource
efficient economy. PlasticsEurope fully supports this objective.
It is widely recognised that plastics have a crucial role to play in delivering a more
sustainable future. Through their unique combination of light-weight, durability and other
intrinsic properties, plastics already contribute to emissions reduction and more efficient use
of resources across a range of different sectors and everyday applications. As a result of
their versatility and capacity for innovation, plastic materials are also frequently best placed
to support breakthrough sustainable technologies.
However, challenges relating to littering and end-of-life options for certain types of plastics
waste must be addressed if the material is to achieve its fullest potential in a circular and
resource efficient economy.
It is in this spirit of commitment to future generations, PlasticsEurope has decided to set a
series of ambitious targets and initiatives up to 2040.
The Plastics Packaging2040 Voluntary Commitment focuses on
preventing leakage of
plastics into the environment,
improving resource efficiency and the circularity of
plastics packaging applications.
PlasticsEurope will aim
at
achieving the goal of 100% re-use, recycling and or recovery
of all plastics packaging in the EU-28, Norway and Switzerland by 2040. The overriding
focus of this commitment is to ensure
high rates of re-use and recycling with the ambition
to
reach 60% re-use and recycling of plastics packaging
by 2030 and 70% in 2040.
Ensuring the highest possible rates for recycling and re-use will require actions in the
following areas:
Raw material producers will ensure that all polymers supplied to the packaging
chain are intrinsically recyclable*
Increased efforts along the value chain to include eco-design aspects to deliver
sustainable packaging solutions e.g. facilitating re-usability and recyclability
* Recyclable means the intrinsic properties of the polymers to be recycled
3
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Collaboration with recyclers and public authorities on the application of improved
separate waste collection systems
Public and private funding
Investment in research and development of:
o enhanced waste sorting technology
o more effective physical recycling machinery
o innovative and economical chemical recycling technologies
The targets for recycling and reuse of packaging in general will complement already
established recycling programmes for specific plastics types.
Another important pillar of the Plastics Packaging2040 Voluntary Commitment is a further
increase in existing
activities aimed at preventing littering that includes educational
projects across Member States, targets to prevent pellet loss, and new research into the
origins of the most commonly occurring plastic litter in the environment.
These efforts will be complemented by
additional actions to enhance the resource
efficiency of plastics packaging and
accelerate innovation aimed at boosting their
circularity. This will involve further research into alternative feedstocks, more regular updates
of product Life-Cycle Inventories and Environmental Product Declarations, the publication of
extended waste data, and new eco-design guidelines for plastics packaging.
PlasticsEurope will work on concrete
action plans and time-based performance
indicators against all of the above objectives by mid-2018. From 2019, an annual progress
report will be published.
General oversight of the Plastics Packaging2040 Voluntary Commitment will be provided by
an independent
committee made up of representatives of the European Commission,
European Parliament, national and local authorities, civil society and academia.
Delivering against these ambitious objectives will also depend on the commitment and
support of policy makers at European, national and local level to ensure the implementation
of appropriate regulatory frameworks, as well as the mobilisation of public funding.
4
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Introduction
The European Commission aims at transforming Europe into a more circular and
resource efficient economy. PlasticsEurope fully supports this objective.
It is widely recognised that plastics have a crucial role to play in delivering a more
sustainable future. Through their unique combination of light-weight, durability and
other intrinsic properties, plastics already contribute to emissions reduction and more
efficient use of resources across a range of different sectors and everyday
applications. As a result of their versatility and capacity for innovation, plastic
materials are also invariably best placed to support breakthrough sustainable
technologies.
However, challenges relating to littering and end-of-life options for certain types of
plastics waste - especially packaging waste - must be addressed if the material is to
achieve its fullest potential in a circular and resource efficient economy.
It is in this spirit of commitment to sustainable development, PlasticsEurope has decided to
set a series of ambitious targets and initiatives up to 2040 that are focussed on the key
areas of preventing leakage of plastics into the environment, improving resource efficiency
and increasing recycling and re-use rates.
With this Voluntary Commitment, PlasticsEurope is advancing the plastics industry’s role to a
next level of engagement, recognising that this transformation will only take place through
solutions put into reality and the regulatory support of the EU institutions.
Making Circularity and Resource Efficiency a Reality
PlasticsEurope is committed to accelerate ongoing and establish new initiatives to achieve a
more circular and resource efficient economy. The regional scope is the EU-28 plus Norway
and Switzerland. From 2019, an annual progress report will be published.
5
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Section I – General Commitments
1. Preventing Plastics Litter in the Environment
1.1 Actions to Prevent Pellet Loss
Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) is a voluntary programme aiming towards zero pellet loss
from the manufacture of plastic pellets and their subsequent handling, distribution and
processing.
PlasticsEurope is in the process of implementing OCS and continues working with the entire
value chain to fully develop OCS at all levels, including transport and logistics.
PlasticsEurope will establish a roadmap in 2018 and set up a transparent, harmonised
assessment and monitoring scheme in line with EU standards to report its progress back to
the EU institutions and key stakeholders on a yearly basis.
1.2 Actions to Prevent Littering
a) Reduce Littering of Top Plastic Items Found in the Environment
By 2018 the PlasticsEurope will intensify its engagement with key stakeholders to investigate
the type of plastic items found in the European environment, and will subsequently work to
develop and implement solutions to prevent these items from being littered.
b) Support to Educational Programmes
PlasticsEurope will continue to work closely together with other stakeholders to develop and
support projects aimed at raising awareness, positively enhancing knowledge levels, as well
as the attitude and behaviour of citizens. For example, more than 30 educational related
projects that are running in 28 member states under the flag of Marine Litter Solutions like
Grimpola Ecomar Foundation (Spain), Recykling Rejs (Poland), CSI: Litter Challenge (UK),
and La plastica in vacanza (Plastics on holiday) (Italy). These projects are regularly reviewed
and updated.
6
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
2. Improving Resource Efficiency and Accelerating Innovation to Increase Circularity
2.1 Accelerate using Alternative Feedstocks
In addition to increasing recycling in the value chain, PlasticsEurope will continue to expand
and explore the use of CO2 and other renewable feedstocks. For example, by 2019 it will
conduct a study on plastics in the circular economy and on increasing the use of alternative
feedstocks.
Based on this study, recommendations for actions will be formulated aiming at minimising
environmental impacts.
2.2 Facilitate Future Resource Efficiency Gains
To utilise additional and future potential opportunities, the key activities listed below have
been identified:
a) Product Life Cycle Inventory
PlasticsEurope will regularly update and publish its Life-Cycle Inventory dataset (LCI) and
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for the main plastics and recyclates on a 3-yearly
basis.
b) Extended Waste Data
PlasticsEurope will regularly collect and publish data to support the monitoring of the
transition to a more circular and resource efficient economy.
c) Eco-Design Guidelines for Plastics Packaging
PlasticsEurope will continue to support current and future activities in the development of
eco-design guidelines for Plastics packaging and design for recycling in order to maximise
re-use and recycling of plastics packaging.
d) Standardisation support/requirement
PlasticsEurope will actively pursue an integrated and consistent approach to the
standardisation of environmental aspects such as recycling, circular economy and bio-based
materials at an international, European and national level, as well as the removal in existing
standards of unjustified restrictions that hinder the increased use of recyclates.
e) Study of “The role of plastics in the circular economy”
By 2019 PlasticsEurope will publish an independent third party report about “The role of
plastics in the circular economy”.
7
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
This report will encompass all aspects related to the manufacturing, use and disposal of
plastics, such as the impact of plastic materials in daily life, socio-economic aspects as well
as environmental challenges.
3. Creating Global Awareness
PlasticsEurope will further increase its engagement to help to deploy appropriate solutions to
prevent marine litter and promote circularity around the world. It will strengthen its
engagement with other international industry organisations and stakeholders like the Global
Plastics Alliance (GPA) and the World Plastics Council (WPC) to demonstrate commitment
and initiate global action. It will collaborate and participate in thought-leadership-dialogues
with EC, UNEP, G7/G20, WBSCD, and others.
8
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Section II – Sector Specific Commitments
1. Increasing Plastics Packaging Recycling and Re-use
In addition to the
General Commitments (s. Section I) and its involvement in a significant
number of national initiatives, PlasticsEurope has established a number of Initiatives to bring
forward specific commitments as the basis for developing feasible approaches and
innovative solutions, whilst ensuring multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration along
the value chain. These programmes will stimulate increased recycling across different plastic
types and sectors.
a) Polyolefins Circular Economy Initiative
An in-depth stakeholder discussion and detailed analysis of the EU polyolefins recycling
practices is being conducted together with the plastics value chain. This will ascertain the
level of polyolefins reuse and recycling as well as new end markets for recyclates that are
required to meet the newly set EU plastics packaging recycling targets and the long term
objectives expressed within PlasticsEurope’s Voluntary Commitment.
By the end of 2018, using the results of the above analysis a roadmap will be developed that
will identify bottlenecks to circularity and the best options to remove them.
b) Styrenics Circular Solutions
The Polystyrene (PS) and Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) producers are actively supporting
the development of technologies that enable the recycling of Polystyrene-based products
back into their original applications. With a strong focus on innovation, these new
technologies will enable the incorporation of post-consumer waste back into production
processes, meeting most-demanding standards. By the end of 2018, the most promising
technologies and the path forward will be assessed.
The PS/EPS producers will actively collaborate with the complete value chains to further
improve the collection and sorting systems for packaging waste. The objective is to
considerably expand the accessible market of post-consumer PS and EPS waste.
9
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
An independent legal structure with dedicated funding will be set up, and business cases will
be developed for the industrial scale-up of the most promising technologies. An example of
such business case is the PSLoop cooperative that was established to build a pilot plant
which will recycle PS/EPS construction materials.
The EU is invited to monitor and review the progress made.
c) Vinyl Circular Solutions (VCS)
Vinyl Circular Solutions (VCS) is the PVC Packaging Platform of the European Council of
Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM). VCS actively develops and promotes the use of eco-efficient,
cost-effective and safe PVC packaging materials which ensure that packed articles have a
considerably increased shelf-life. At the end of their life PVC packaging can be mechanically
recycled.
The European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers is a founding member of VinylPlus®
(www.vinylplus.eu), the long established Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development
by the entire European PVC value chain (resin manufacturers, additives producers and
converters), and a benchmark for other industry initiatives. Launched in 2000, VinylPlus®
aims at strengthening the sustainability of PVC products and of the entire industry through a
holistic approach including increasing safe and quality PVC recycling
(annual progress
report). The VinylPlus® commitment includes, amongst others, a target to recycle 800,000
tonnes of PVC per year by 2020.
To continue the journey started in 2000, the European PVC value chain will review in 2018
VinylPlus®’ achievements with a view to defining, in consultation with the stakeholders, new
ambitious recycling targets alongside a set of other concrete objectives for the next phase of
its Voluntary Commitment towards 2030.
10
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
Section III - A Regulatory Framework for Success
1. EU Regulatory Support
In order to achieve our targets towards a more sustainable, resource efficient and
globally competitive European Plastics Industry, EU policy support is required:
Zero Plastics to Landfill
The landfilling of recyclable and other recoverable post-consumer waste shall be
stopped as soon as possible in the European Union.
Internal Market
Maintain the EU internal market legal base for the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste
Directive and all its amending acts.
Separate Collection
Mandatory separate collection of all packaging from residual waste by 2025.
Alignment of REACH/Waste/ CLP/ Product legislation
Alignment of REACH, CLP and waste and product legislation to remove the
obstacles for recycling. It includes the implementation of a risk based approach in
order to secure the full potential of plastics recycling of longer life applications into
controlled loops (with traceability of SVHC additives) and secure the safety of
virgin/recycled plastics for their intended application.
Food Contact Regulation
Adoption of all measures required for the full implementation of the Food Contact
Regulation EC/282/2008.
11
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
2. EU Funding
Mobilise public funding (such as Horizon 2020) to encourage and stimulate
innovation in plastics:
-
feedstock recycling
-
re-use models
-
low carbon footprint feedstocks
-
innovation in traceability of materials, collection schemes, sorting and treatment of
secondary raw materials.
As this will establish a multi-year process of continuous improvement and learning, we invite
to monitor and guide it with the help of a committee, comprising of members from the
European Commission and Parliament, academia, civil society, and the PlasticsEurope.
While providing the general oversight of the Plastics Packaging2040 Commitments, this
advisory committee serves to complement the respective stakeholder committees of the
individual Circular Economy and Value Chain Initiatives.
Brussels January 2018
Signatories
President
Chair
Chair
Chair
PlasticsEurope
ECVM
Styrenics Circular
Polyolefins Circular
Solutions Steering
Economy Initiative
Committee
12
Personal and Confidential
PlasticsEurope DRAFT (22/12/2017)
PlasticsEurope is one of the leading European trade associations with
centres in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris. The
association is networking with European and national plastics associations
and has more than 100 member companies, producing over 90% of all
polymers across the EU28 member states plus Norway, Switzerland and
Turkey.
www.plasticseurope.org
The Styrenics Circular Solutions is a joint industry initiative to increase the
circularity of polystyrene. The initiative engages the value chain in the
Styrenics
development and industrialization of new recycling technologies and
Circular
solutions. It aims to strengthen the sustainability of polystyrene products
while improving resource efficiency within the circular economy.
Solutions
Contact: xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
The European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers represents six leading
European producers of PVC resin, which account for around 75% of the EU-
28 PVC resin production. These businesses operate around 40 different
plants spread over 23 sites, and employ approximately 7,000 people.
For additional information: www.pvc.org .
Polyolefins Circular Economy Initiative
[Description to be included]
13
Document Outline