EuPR: Concern about PlasticsEurope Study on Waste Management

The European Plastics Recyclers (www.eupr.org) are furious with the plastics raw material suppliers according to Bernard Merkx (EuPR President).

The release of their “green book” contains questionable data on plastics recycling. The figures appear to be expressing a percentage of plastics waste for collection and not recycling. Saying that recycling levels of 60% are achieved in Germany is nonsense according to Merkx. This figure includes energy recovery, feed stock recycling and mechanical recycling.

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On top of this the figures do not distinguish between collection, export and recycling in Europe nor does the report differentiate between production waste and postconsumer waste. Our members represent 80% of the recycling capacity in Europe and we know very well what the situation is. We have been collaborating with PlasticsEurope for the recycling figures of 2004 and asked them to wait for final consultation, before publishing this report.

According to the recyclers, the recycling levels for post-consumer plastics waste went down last year and the export flows are continuing to damage their business. EuPR believes that the overall plastics mechanical recycling rates for all applications in Europe is only 4.1%, 2.2 million tonnes processed waste in the EU. This percentage must be seen in relation to the production of plastics raw material placed on the European market in the EU, which is above 50 million tonnes per year. EuPR intends to conduct its own report and inform the EU legislator about the real figures.

If the EU Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States want a model European Recycling Society then they should call upon the plastic producers to take up their responsibilities by initiating the plastics waste/recycling directive. This EU Directive has been sitting on the Commission desk for several years now but has been blocked by the strong lobby of the petro-chemical companies. Only by fixing material specific recycling targets for plastics recycling will we achieve the proper levels in Europe. Today an average (packaging) post-consumer mechanical recycling level below 16% is achieved in the EU. More can be done in specific plastics waste streams, such as industrial packaging, agricultural film, bumpers, electronics and industrial film in order to increase the overall 4.1% which is very low.

Now that the European politicians are discussing the Thematic Recycling Strategy for Europe for the next 10-20 years the producing industry should accept its responsibilities and help achieve higher plastics mechanical recycling rates.

EuPR, the European Plastics Recyclers Association, is the leading organisation in Brussels for plastics recycling in Europe. It is composed of companies and associations representing 2.000.000 tons of recycling capacities in Europe and 10.000 employees.

European Plastics Recyclers, Brussels, Belgium

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