Circular Plastics Alliance aims to Boost Recycling in the Plastics Value Chain

Submitted by Imogen Allan on 12 October 2021

To boost the EU market for recycled plastics, the European Commission launched the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA). 

More than 275 organisations representing industry, academia and public authorities covering the entire plastics value chain have signed the declaration of the alliance. By joining the CPA, organisations and businesses confirm their intentions to work collectively with the other signatories towards the ambitious aim that by 2025, 10 million tonnes of recycled plastics will find their way into new products on the EU market. 

To reach the target, over 80% of the increase in recycled plastics should come from packaging, the remainder from the other sectors such as: 

  • Agriculture 

  • Construction 

  • Automotive  

  • Electronics  

The Alliance calls for a shift to zero plastic waste in nature and zero landfilling, and it builds on several concrete actions: 

  • Improving the design of plastics to make them more recyclable 

  • Identifying solutions to facilitate recycling  

  • Setting a research-and-development agenda for circular plastics 

  • Establishing a transparent and reliable monitoring system 

Discussing the Alliance, Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, said: “With the Circular Plastics Alliance, the plastics value chain is showing great cooperation towards the transition to circular plastics. The mobilisation of all actors, public and private, along the value chain and across key plastics-using sectors, is also improving Europe’s resilience by maximising the use of plastic waste as a valuable resource. I welcome these efforts and count on the alliance’s continued engagement.”  

The first voluntary pledges for recycled plastics made by industry showed that the supply of recycled plastics could reach and exceed the target, however, more work was needed to ensure the use of recycled plastics. In this regard, the Alliance is preparing a report on the requirements and solutions to increase the integration of recycled plastics in products.  

The CPA will also regularly update its roadmap through an open process of dialogue and exchange with national and local authorities and all other interested stakeholders. 

New stakeholders can join the alliance by signing a declaration. 

Watch the ‘Circular Plastics Alliance: Work done in 2020’ video at the bottom of this page to find out more about joining. 

Find out more here. 

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