Plenary 3:

The Plastics Challenge: Public Policy and Industry Response

Peter SundtVancouver, 6 November 2018

Content

1. EPRO, actions and results

2. The global challenges and responses

3. Global Plastic flows

4. European policies and industry response

5. Conclusions

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What is EPRO?

• European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations

• Members, all based on EPR, have to give in their country guarantee on recycling of plastic packaging waste, and agri-plastics

• 25 members: Europe, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa

Aim: To exchange experiences and thus optimise national effectiveness through international co-operation

www.epro-plasticsrecycling.org

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EPRO members in Europe

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EPRO membersCanada, New Zealand, South Africa

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Iceland

Beyond packaging

EPRO WG-Agricultural plastics

Canada New Zealand

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Activities of EPRO

Product Design

Production& Use

Collection & Sorting

Recycling

Use of Recyclate

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Design for recyclability, case PET bottles

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Household collection solutionsfor plastic packaging

• Just PET bottles, expanding, blue bin (CH)

• Bottles only (UK, F, but expanding)

• Bottles + cans and bev.carton, expanding (B)

• All plastic packaging (A, N, NL, I, Ice, S, SF)

• All plastic packaging, bev.carton and cans, yellow bin (G, E)

• PET deposit systems (DK, G, Ice, N, NL, S, SF)

• High tech sorting

• Industrial plants/

100.000 tonnes

• Sorting out defined

qualities

• Sorting also plastics from greybins (E,N,NL)

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Best practice on sorting household plastic packaging

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PlasticsTheFacts: Plastic packaging waste treatment2018 for EU 28+2

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PlasticsTheFacts: Plastic packaging recycling rates 2018

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EUROSTAT 2016:Plastic packaging recycling rates

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Global challenges and goals are also company challenges, opportunities and goals

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The global plastic flows

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Treatment of plastics:

room for improvements and a better market for recycling!

Basel restrictions on exports-Basel invites industry to PlasticsWastePartnership

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Industry response, example:The Alliance to end plastic waste

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Other global initiatives

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• A common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035;

• A common EU target for recycling 70% of packaging waste by 2030;

• Specific target for Plastic packaging recycling: 55 % by 2030, 50% by 2025

• A binding landfill target to reduce landfill to maximum of 10% of municipal waste by 2035;

• Prevention objectives are significantly reinforced, in particular, requiring Member States to take specific measures to tackle food waste and marine litter as a contribution to achieve EU commitments to the UN SDGs.

Relevant EU targets for plastics, too

Industry initiativesby polymer for a circular economy

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Single-use plastics: are you #ReadyToChange?Yes, we are!

Sucsess criteria

1. Legislation, support and enforcement

2. Professional and strong EPR system(s)

3. Value chain commitments and cooperation

4. Design for recyclability

5. Technology and infrastructure

6. Well functioning markets

7. Awareness and confidence

8. Certification and traceability

9. Statistics

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1. We have several «plastic challenges» …and opportunities

2. We see good responses to public policies, also globally, but we needmore joint actions

3. EPR is a possible key instrument in a long term perspective

4. Canada has to find its own strategy for plastics, but might be inspired by European initiatives, the door is open!

Conclusions

Peter Sundt

Secretary generalwww.epro-plasticsrecycling.org

Secretary@epro-Plasticsrecycling.org

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