The European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD, Brussels / Belgium; www.fead.be) has welcomed support from the European Parliament’s ENVI environment committee for a proposal to make it mandatory to produce beverage containers with at least 35% recycled plastic by 2025. The committee voted on 10 October to amend the proposal for a directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

The proposal “will encourage the creation of a steady market for recyclates, and will ensure a more circular use of plastics,” stated FEAD. Collecting up to 90% of plastic bottles in 2025, as proposed in the directive, is a welcome first step but will not be enough to steer the plastic markets towards less single-use bottles, it said. Designing recyclable packaging items is necessary to facilitate recycling, and a strong signal is needed to boost both the offer of recyclable plastics and the demand for recycled plastics, it continued. “The European Parliament’s report to include at least 35% recycled plastics in beverage containers is a crucial first step in this direction, and we fully support its inclusion in the legal text,” the association added.

FEAD said it hopes the committee’s positive vote will result in an equally favourable vote on 23 October during the plenary session. All MEPs will then decide whether they want mandatory recycled content in plastic bottles to be part of their legacy.

Other European associations have also voiced support for the creation of recycled content mandates for plastics – see Plasteurope.com of 24.07.2018. The PET value chain recently called on EU policymakers to make specific targets to enforce the separate collection and recycling of PET food trays. This sector has pledged to increase recyclate content to 70% – see Plasteurope.com of 12.10.2018.