ChemRec Europe publishes position paper on chemical recycling

Published 13/04/2019 | By Cihangir Türkkani

The fast development of chemical recycling technologies that can provide a solution to recycle hard-to-recycle plastic waste is outpacing the regulation and policy around it. Lack of structured and harmonized approach to waste collection and recycling causes constraints on companies that can create new value-added products from this waste.

Therefore, Chemical Recycling Europe welcomes any opportunity to work together with the whole plastics value chain and EU and National policymakers to develop new EU regulatory and policy measures to boost the circular plastic economy by finding sustainable solutions for the following critical policy areas such as for example:

Recognition of chemical recycling: create a supportive framework to fully exploit the potential of chemical recycling technologies.
A level playing field for recycling technologies: Implementation of the same EPR systems for mechanical and chemical recycling and recognition of chemical recycling as recycling in the waste hierarchy, to support collection and ensure it counts towards EU recycling targets.
Reducing landfilling and incineration of plastic waste: chemical recycling is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to incineration and landfill, this can be demonstrated by life-cycle analysis.