The industry is therefore calling for comparable requirements for imported materials and those manufactured in Europe. For imports of recycled plastics, virgin plastic, and plastic products, the signatories propose that so-called “mirror measures” or equivalent mechanisms be applied. This is intended to prevent materials from entering the European market that do not meet the environmental, quality, or other regulatory requirements that European producers must satisfy.

At the same time, customs inspections and market surveillance are to be improved. The industry sees a key problem in the fact that, to date, it has not always been possible to adequately verify the origin and actual recycled content of imported materials.

Boosting Demand for European Recycled Plastics

However, according to the industry associations, trade policy measures alone are not enough. They say it is crucial to create a reliable market for recycled plastics manufactured in Europe.

To this end, greater use should be made of extended producer responsibility systems, among other measures. Eco-modulated fees could be structured in such a way that products that are easily recyclable and the use of recycled materials are rewarded more generously from an economic perspective.

The Recycling Appeal thus addresses a key problem in the recycling industry: Investments in sorting and recycling facilities are only profitable in the long term if there is sufficient and, as far as possible, stable demand for the secondary raw materials produced.

The signatories are also calling for targeted investment incentives for the collection, sorting, and recycling of plastic waste. Tax measures and other financial incentives should also be explored.

High energy costs are hurting competitiveness

Another key issue is energy costs. European plastics and recycling companies sometimes face significantly higher production costs compared to competitors from other regions of the world.

The industry is therefore calling for better access to competitively priced energy. Recycling, compounding, and plastics processing should be given greater consideration in industrial policy support measures.

At the same time, the organizations criticize regulatory uncertainties, bureaucratic burdens, and the fact that existing regulations are sometimes implemented differently across the EU. Approval procedures and administrative requirements should be simplified, and EU regulations should be implemented and enforced more uniformly across member states.

Six Areas of Action for Brussels

Essentially, the demands can be summarized into six areas of action: 

• A level playing field with imports
• Competitive Energy Costs
• Better monitoring and enforcement of existing rules
• Less regulatory fragmentation within Europe
• Better Conditions for Investment and Innovation 
• Further Development of Extended Producer Responsibility

According to their own statements, the associations involved are not only concerned with protecting existing companies. They warn that if European recycling capacity continues to decline, it could also make it more difficult to implement European circular economy policy.

This is because increasing requirements for the use of recycled materials and higher recycling rates necessitate corresponding sorting and processing capacities. If these capacities disappear from Europe for economic reasons, dependence on imports could continue to grow.

Recycling Is Becoming an Industrial Policy Issue

The joint call for recycling thus makes it clear that plastic recycling is increasingly viewed not only as an environmental policy issue but also as an industrial policy issue. The industry links the circular economy to issues of European competitiveness, raw material supply, and strategic independence.

The signatories warn that without immediate countermeasures, further business closures and job losses could result. At the same time, investments already made in recycling technologies and the circular economy would be jeopardized.