PLASTICS CHALLENGES IN EUROPE

KEY CHALLENGES

1. In the EU, the plastics sector employs 1.5 million people and generate a turnover of over EUR 350 billion .
2. In the EU, the potential for recycling plastic waste remains largely unexploited. Reuse and recycling of end-of-life plastics remains very low, particularly in comparison with other materials such as paper, glass or metal
3. Around 25.8 million tons of plastic waste are generated in Europe every year. Less than 30% of such waste is collected for recycling. Of this amount, a significant share leaves the EU to be treated in third countries, where different environmental standards may apply. At the same time, landfilling and incineration rates of plastic waste remain high - 31 % and 39 %, respectively - and while landfill has decreased over the past decade, incineration has grown.
4. According to estimates, 95 % of the value of plastic packaging material, i.e. between EUR 70 and 105 billion annually, is lost to the economy after a very short first-use cycle. Demand for recycled plastics today accounts for only around 6 % of plastics demand in Europe. In recent years, the EU plastic recycling sector has suffered from low commodity prices and uncertainties about market outlets. Investments in new plastic recycling capacity have been held back by the sector’s prospects of low profitability. It was estimated that plastics production and the incineration of plastic waste give rise globally to approximately 400 million tons of CO2 a year. Using more recycled plastics can reduce dependence on the extraction of fossil fuels for plastics production and curb CO2 emissions. According to estimates, the potential annual energy savings that could be achieved from recycling all global plastic waste is equivalent to 3.5 billion barrels of oil per year
5. Alternative types of feedstock (e.g. bio-based plastics or plastics produced from carbon dioxide or methane), offering the same functionalities of traditional plastics with potentially lower environmental impacts, are also being developed, but at the moment represent a very small share of the market. Increasing the uptake of alternatives that according to solid evidence are more sustainable can also help decrease our dependency on fossil fuels. Very large quantities of plastic waste leak into the environment from sources both on land and at sea, generating significant economic and environmental damage.
6. Globally, 5 to 13 million tons of plastics -1.5 to 4 % of global plastics production - end up in the oceans every year. It is estimated that plastic accounts for over 80 % of marine litter. Plastic debris is then transported by marine currents, sometimes over very long distances. They can be washed up on land, degrade into microplastics or form dense areas of marine litter trapped in ocean gyres. UNEP estimates that damage to marine environments is at least USD 8 billion per year globally.
7. In the EU, 150 000 to 500 000 tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. This represents a small proportion of global marine litter. Yet, plastic waste from European sources ends up in particularly vulnerable marine areas, such as the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the Arctic Ocean. Recent studies show plastics accumulate in the Mediterranean at a density comparable to the areas of highest plastic accumulation in the oceans. Plastic pollution also affects areas of the European Exclusive Economic Zone, in the outermost regions along the Caribbean Sea, the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In addition to harming the environment, marine litter causes economic damage to activities such as tourism, fisheries and shipping. For instance, the cost of litter to EU fisheries was estimated at about 1 % of total revenues from catches by the EU fleet.
8. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the increasing amount of plastic waste generated each year, also fueled by the growing of ‘single-use’ plastics, i.e. packaging or other consumer products that are thrown away after one brief use, are rarely recycled and prone to be littered. These include small packaging, bags, disposable cups, lids, straws and cutlery, for which plastic is widely used due to its lightness, low cost, and practical features.
9. New sources of plastic leakage are also on the rise, posing additional potential threats to both the environment and human health. Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic below 5mm in size, accumulate in the sea, where their small size makes it easy for marine life to ingest them. They can also enter the food chain. Recent studies also found microplastics in air, drinking water and other foods like salt or honey, with yet unknown impacts on human health. In total, it is estimated that between 75 000 and 300 000 tons of microplastics are released into the environment each year in the EU. While a large amount of microplastics result from the fragmentation of larger pieces of plastic waste, significant quantities also enter the environment directly, making it more challenging to track and prevent them. In addition, the increasing market shares of plastics with biodegradable properties bring new opportunities as well as risks. In the absence of clear labelling or marking for consumers, and without adequate waste collection and treatment, it could aggravate the existing problem of plastics leakage and create problems for mechanical recycling. On the other hand, biodegradable plastics can certainly have a role in some applications and the innovation efforts in this field are welcomed. As plastic value chains are increasingly crossborder, problems and opportunities associated with plastics should be seen in light of international developments, including China's recent decision to restrict imports of certain types of plastics waste.
10. There is a growing awareness of the global nature of these challenges, as shown by international initiatives on marine litter, like the UN Global Partnership on Marine Litter and the action plans put forward by the G7 and G20. Plastic pollution was also identified as one of the main pressures on healthy oceans at the international ‘Our Ocean Conference’, hosted by the EU in October 2017. A resolution on marine litter and microplastics was adopted at the United Nation Environment Assembly in December 2017.
11. Moving decisively towards a more prosperous and sustainable plastics economy could deliver considerable benefits. To reap these, Europe needs a strategic vision, setting out what a ‘circular’ plastics economy could look like in the decades ahead. This vision needs to promote investment in innovative solutions and turn today’s challenges into opportunities. While the EU will propose concrete measures to achieve this vision, making it a reality will require action from all players in the plastic value chain, from plastic producers and designers, through brands and retailers, to recyclers. Similarly, civil society, the scientific community, businesses and local authorities will have a decisive role to play in making a difference, working together with regional and national governments to bring about positive change.

Global Commitment

a. Packaged goods companies, retailers, hospitality and food service companies, packaging  producers

 i. Take action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging by 2025

ii. Take action to move from single-use towards reuse models where relevant by 2025

iii. 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025

iv. Set an ambitious 2025 recycled content target across all plastic packaging used  

b. Raw material producers: Set an ambitious 2025 target to increase the use of recycled 2 plastic , or (only for producers of compostable plastic) Set a 2025 target to increase the share 3 of renewable content to at least 75%, all of it from responsibly managed sources

c. Collection, sorting, and recycling industry: Set an ambitious 2025 target to grow the volume and quality of recycled/composted plastic, and accordingly increase the ratio of recycled and  composted over landfilled and incinerated plastic volumes

d. Durable goods producers: Set an ambitious 2025 recycled content target across all plastic used in products or components

e. Suppliers to the plastics industry: Make an ambitious set of commitments that support the businesses in the plastics industry to achieve their commitments

f. Investors: Invest a meaningful amount by 2025 in businesses, technologies, or other assets that work to realise the vision of a circular economy for plastic .

Commit to collaborate towards increasing reuse/recycling/composting rates for plastic

Report annually and publicly on progress towards meeting these commitment

Signatories

Packaged goods companies, retailers, hospitality and food service companies, packaging producers

1. Ahold
2. Delhaize
3. ALBEA
4. Algramo
5. ALPLA Werke
6. Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co KG
7. Amcor
8. Arca Continental
9. BioPak Pty Ltd
10. Burberry Group Plc
11. Carrefour
12. Coca-Cola
13. FEMSA
14. Colgate-Palmolive Company
15. Constantia Flexibles
16. CupClub Limited
17. Danone SA
18. Delphis Eco
19. Diageo
20. Dynapack Asia
21. Earthwise
22. Ecopod
23. ecostore
24. Essity AB
25. EXCELRISE
26. gDiapers
27. Greiner AG
28. H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB
29. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
30. Inditex
31. innocent drinks
32. Internet Fusion Group
33. JAMES CROPPER PLC
34. Johnson and Johnson Consumer Inc.
35. Kellogg Company
36. Kesko Corporation
37. Logoplaste
38. LOLIWARE
39. L’Oréal
40. Marks and Spencer plc
41. Mars, Incorporated
42. Matrix APA (UK) Ltd.
43. METRO AG
44. MIWA (MInimum WAste)
45. Mondi
46. NATURA COSMETICS
47. Nestlé
48. Paccor packaging solutions
49. PepsiCo
50. Pernod Ricard
51. POSITIV.A PT
52. Evogaia Karya Indonesia
53. RB
54. RePack
55. Replenish Bottling LLC
56. rPlanet Earth
57. SC Johnson
58. Schwarz Group
59. Sealed Air corporation
60. Selfridges
61. Skipping Rocks Lab
62. SPB
63. Spinlock
64. Splosh Ltd.
65. Stella McCartney Swire Beverages Ltd
66. Target Corporation
67. The Better Packaging Co.
68. The Bio-D Company Ltd
69. The Coca-Cola Company
70. The New Zealand King Salmon Company Ltd
71. Unilever
72. Walmart U.S., Walmart Canada, Walmart Mexico, and Sam’s Club
73. Werner & Mertz GmbH
74. Woolworths Holdings Limited

Raw material producers

1. Aquapak Polymers Limited
2. Borealis AG
3. Ecovative
4. Full Cycle Bioplastics
5. Indorama Ventures Public Company LImited
6. Mobius
7. NatureWorks
8. Novamont SpA
9. Origin Materials

c. Collection, sorting and recycling industry

1. APK AG
2. Boomera
3. Cedo
4. CSSA (Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance Inc.)
5. Ecoiberia Reciclados Ibericos SA
6. EGF - Environment Global Facilities
7. Encorp Pacific (Canada)
8. Hera Group
9. INCOM RECYCLE Co. Ltd. Beijing
10. Industria Mexicana de Reciclaje S.A. de C.V.
11. JAMES CROPPER PLC
12. LIPOR - Intermunicipal Waste Management of Greater Porto, Portugal
13. Loop Industries
14. Mr. Green Africa
15. PetStar
16. Plastic Bank
17. PLASTIC ENERGY
18. Recycling Technologies
19. Re-Poly Evertrak QRS
20. Rubicon Global
21. SUEZ
22. TerraCycle
23. TOMRA Systems ASA
24. TriCiclos
25. Veolia Waste
26. Ventures India Pvt. Ltd.
27. Waste4Change
28. Worn Again Technologies

d. Durable goods producers

1. Ernesto São Simão Lda.
2. Mobike
3. HP Inc
4. Philips
5. Preserve
6. Riversimple Movement Ltd
7. Schneider Electric
8. Stanley Black & Decker