Plastics Recyclers Europe president calls for urgent action to save domestic production

European plastic recyclers are facing rising operational costs due to high energy prices, hindering the EU’s competitiveness against cheaper imports, says Ton Emans, president at Plastic Recyclers Europe. 

The non-profit organization representing the voice of European plastics recyclers is calling on EU policymakers to introduce regulations to ensure the industry’s competitiveness.  

Packaging Insights sits down with Emans to discuss why the EU’s domestic recyclate production is struggling and what steps policymakers should take to support the industry.  

“A key problem is the lack of a level playing field for the EU plastic recycling industry, which is put at a disadvantage by the increasing imports of plastic materials which do not meet the same sustainability criteria as those manufactured in the EU,” he says. 

“It is imperative to decouple the price of recyclates from virgin plastics if the industry is to move toward achieving the circularity targets set by the EU legislation.” 

Imported recycled and virgin polymers account for over 20% of EU polymer consumption, while domestic recycling production has declined by 5% for most polymers. Overall, plastic production is projected to regress to the levels seen in the year 2000, even as consumption grows, according to Plastics Recyclers Europe. 

Economic vs. sustainability concerns 

Recyclates’ production in the EU is declining while imports are rising because of high operational costs, especially for energy, explains Emans. He says that the cost of energy in the EU is one of the highest worldwide, while other costs, such as those of input waste, have also increased. 

Virgin plastic prices remain cheaper than those of recycled plastic, a key issue to foster EU circularity, according to Emans.“This makes it virtually impossible to compete with cheaper import materials, for which proper verification mechanisms lack, enabling those imports, in some cases, to bypass the legislative and regulatory requirements that European recyclers face. This creates an uneven playing field,” he continues.  

“Economic incentives still far outweigh sustainability incentives when it comes to the increasing use of recyclates in new plastic products. Besides the cheaper price of imported materials, virgin plastic prices are far lower than that of recycled plastics.” 

“Recyclers have secured immense investments to ensure sufficient capacities for the achievement of those targets. However, in this same period, there have been few improvements to the collection rates of waste and the recyclability of plastic products.” 

He says that the industry invested €5 billion (US$5.4 billion) between 2020 and 2023 just to meet EU targets. 

Emans says that collection and recyclability remain among the key challenges. “Therefore, the quantity and quality of input waste remain limited. Pairing this with the market pressure makes it even more challenging to achieve a return on investment but even to stay operational for European recyclers.” 

Legislative solutions and risks 

EPRs can be “an important tool” in boosting support for the circular plastic future, says Emans. 

“However, improvements are necessary to ensure their optimal functioning and effective support for the recyclers. The structure of EPR schemes must be redefined and harmonized across the EU member states to ensure they cover the real cost of waste management with eco-modulation fees that incentivize design for recycling and the use of recycled content.” 

He adds that to move toward a net-zero industry in Europe, it is essential that plastic recycling is recognized as a strategic sector. “Without support for this industry, consequences could be severe both for the environment and the economy.” 

EPRs can be “an important tool” in supporting Europe’s circular plastic future, says Emans.Ermans outlines the risks of the continuous decline of the European recycling industry: 

Increased waste and landfilling — “Without recycling, plastic waste would either be incinerated, landfilled, or exported, leading to environmental pollution and loss of valuable resources.” 

Higher CO2 emissions — “If Europe stops recycling and instead imports new plastics, emissions will surge due to increased production, transportation, and disposal. Incineration of plastics also releases large amounts of CO2.” 

Dependency on third countries — “Without local recycling, Europe would rely on imports for virgin and recycled plastics or send waste abroad for processing, reducing strategic autonomy and increasing vulnerability to supply chain disruptions.” 

Loss of circular economy benefits — “Recycling is a key pillar of the circular economy for plastics. Without it, we revert to a linear system (take–make–dispose), wasting resources that could otherwise be reused.” 

Economic and job losses — “The European recycling industry supports thousands of jobs. If recycling collapses, industries relying on recycled materials (such as packaging, automotive, and textiles) will face higher costs and economic challenges.” 

“We urge EU policymakers to take a fast and strong political stance, introducing effective import controls through strengthened trade defence measures and enforcing existing legislation, including the restriction of importing materials that do not meet equivalent EU sustainability and safety standards. These measures are crucial for the plastic recycling industry’s survival.”