European Union, all plastic must be recyclable by 2030
Environment — di Rudi Bressa
100% recyclable packaging by 2030, as a firm step towards the circular economy. This has been established by the European Commission's new strategy.
European Union, all plastic must be recyclable by 2030
100% recyclable packaging by 2030, as a firm step towards the circular economy. This has been established by the European Commission's new strategy.
Every year in Europe, 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced. Of these, only 30 per cent is collected and sent for recycling. At the same time, the percentages of plastic packaging ending up in landfill (31 per cent) or being incinerated (39 per cent) remain high. For this reason, on 16 January the European Commission launched a new plastics strategy aimed at achieving 100 per cent recyclable packaging by 2030. The document A european strategy for plastics in a circular economy seeks to provide new guidelines for reducing the amount of waste, incentivising industry and at the same time stimulating the circular economy.
"We must stop plastic from entering our waters, our food and even our bodies," said Vice-President Frans Timmermans in a statement. "The solution is to reduce plastic waste by increasing its recycling and reuse; a challenge that citizens, industry and governments must tackle together."
Too much plastic still ends up in the sea
Worldwide, plastic accounts for 85 per cent of marine litter, while plastic materials have reached our tables, with microplastics now contaminating the air, water and food. In total, it is estimated that between 75,000 and 300,000 tonnes of microplastics are released into the environment in Europe every year. And that is not all. According to estimates, only 5 per cent of the economic value of plastic packaging is retained, while the rest is lost after a very brief first use. A loss whose value is estimated at between 70 and 105 billion euros per year.
But demand for recycled plastic remains far too low: according to the document, recycled plastic accounts for only 6 per cent of the market. Moreover, only a small proportion of the recycled material stays within European borders, while 85 per cent is sent to China, where it is processed. A situation that is, however, about to change radically in light of the Chinese government's recent decision to halt imports of European plastic. In the near future, we could find ourselves with thousands of tonnes of waste collected through separate collection that will have nowhere to go.
A new strategy that will create 200,000 jobs
A problem that can only be solved if the world of packaging design and industry changes its approach. New products will need to be designed to last and to be reused for as long as possible. By 2030, all plastic in Europe must be recyclable. This could, according to the document, lead to the creation of 200,000 jobs by that date.
A new strategy that "lays the foundations for a new circular economy for plastics," said Jyrki Katainen, responsible for jobs, growth and investment. In such a way as to "drive investment, help reduce plastic waste on land, in the air and at sea, while also offering new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and high-quality jobs. This is a great opportunity for European industry to develop global leadership in new technologies and materials."
Today the @EU_Commission Vice-Presidents @TimmermansEU and @jyrkikatainen will announce the new EU #PlasticsStrategy, follow live on ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs… at 3.30 pm CET. All against #marinelitter, all for #cleanseas, all for #OurOcean
WWF: we are facing an emergency
The organisation welcomes the Commission's move but stresses "that the 2030 horizon seems a little too far off in relation to a genuine emergency that is taking on, day by day, extremely worrying proportions and which must be addressed urgently. From the 1950s to the present day, with the onset of the widespread use of plastic, we have produced 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic, discarding around 6.3 billion of them in nature." An enormous amount, and the results are plain for all to see every day.
Plastic has changed the face of society and the economy, enabling us to produce lighter means of transport, durable and long-lasting materials, and to guarantee food safety while at the same time reducing food waste. Now, however, the time has come for industry, politics and civil society to make a collective effort to recycle all the plastic that exists as soon as possible.