Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu) has questioned the 2014 European plastics recycling figures released by PlasticsEurope (Brussels; www.plasticseurope.org) in its latest annual brochure “Plastics – the Facts 2015”. In it, the producers’ association claims that 7.7m t of waste plastic was reused last year, up from 6.6m t collected for recycling in 2012 (see also Plasteurope.com of 26.11.2015).

While welcoming this “sudden increase in plastics collection in Europe,” PRE points out that the rise in the amount of plastics waste collected did not translate into increased plastics recycling in Europe. In fact, the association says, plastics recyclers have not received more feedstock for their plants, adding that exports of plastics waste have been stable across the globe for the past three years. Against this backdrop, PRE asks where the more than 1m t of additional collected plastics waste have ended up.

Despite calling into question the figures, PRE says the fact that higher recycling rates appear more achievable and realistic – its own 2013 study posits a 60% mechanical recycling rate for 2020 (see Plasteurope.com of 18.09.2013) – underlines that quality collection and sorting are essential to drive both investments and job creation in Europe. A recent study by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP, Banbury / UK; www.wrap.org.uk) found that if Europe's circular economy concept were to be transformed, it could create another 3m jobs by 2030 (see Plasteurope.com of 18.09.2015). The European recyclers’ association also reiterated its call for waste collection data to become more transparent and harmonised across Europe.

With that in mind, PRE asks that the new circular economy package due to be adopted by the European Commission before the end of this year address the issues of collection, sorting and data reporting, adding that “it goes against the base of a circular economy that sorting is not mentioned in any of the EU legislation.” A recently leaked internal EU paper suggests that the authorities are mulling the establishment of binding quality standards for secondary raw materials across member states, among others – for more details, see Plasteurope.com of 02.11.2015.