A key body has demanded controls on imports into the EU it says are “suffocating” plastics recycling.
Membership organisation Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) described a “downward trend” in the industry as “alarming”.
The body said demand for recyclate was decreasing while imports from outside the EU were increasing. Investment in domestic facilities was down, it added.
“These issues are feeding the existing recession on the market – driving many recycling companies out of business in 2023, with further closures happening or planned in the course of 2024,” PRE warned. “This downturn will continue unless the situation is addressed urgently.”
The body said the “primary issue” was a “worrying increase in imports of polymers from outside the EU with questionable claims of recycled content and no effective verification and traceability measures in place”.
It called for restrictions on “imports that fail to meet the EU’s environmental requirements”.
“Creating a level playing field will be key to making the green transition sustainable and safeguarding the competitiveness of the EU’s industry in the long run,” said the body.
A report by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and sector charity Recoup this month said it would take almost five extra years to reach forecast recycling levels in the UK because of a “lack of government support”.
