Echoing the statements previously made by Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu) – see Plasteurope.com of 27.01.2014 – European Plastic Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsconverters.eu) also welcomed several provisions of the so-called “Prodi report”, officially known as the “European Strategy on plastic waste”. Adopted by the European parliament on 14 January, the resolution calls for revising EU legislation on plastic waste.

EuPC expressed support for the resolution’s provisions on the separation and collection of plastics waste, binding targets for the collection and recycling of plastics waste, as well as a shift towards financing waste recycling infrastructures as opposed to landfilling and energy recovery. Association managing director Alexandre Dangis said, “These provisions show that members of the European parliament are now well aware of the need for change in certain waste management practices currently existing across the EU, and the need for change in EU policy relating to waste management and the treatment of plastics waste.”

However, striking the same chord as PRE, the plastic converters’ umbrella organisation also expressed concern about the need for adequate end-of-life solutions for bioplastics, saying, “it is not enough for bioplastics products to have labelling information on end of life solutions, if sufficient bio-waste management treatment infrastructures do not actually exist and no separate collection is organised.” A key goal in this regard, EuPC said, is to make sure that degradable plastics do not contaminate the quality of recycling.