Belgium – In a joint letter to the European Commission, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and 30 other associations that represent market segments along the European plastics value chain call for the adoption of an EU-harmonized mass balance calculation rule for chemically recycled content in 2023.
For the European plastics system to be able to invest in the chemical recycling infrastructure necessary to reach the EU’s 2050 climate and circularity ambitions, there must be immediate legal certainty about the mass balance chain of custody. The associations therefore urge the European Commission to adopt EU rules enabling the use of a mass balance credit method with a fuel-use exempt model to calculate the chemically recycled content in plastics by 2023 using the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) Implementing Act as the legal foundation.
In addition to the SUPD Implementation Act, the joint letter requests consistency and clarity among the laws governing recycled content in plastics and non-plastic chemical components. This would strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy in raw resources, advance the circular economy, and aid in achieving climate goals.
Collective plea
Annick Meerschman, Cefic Innovation Director, said: “As we move from a linear to a circular economy, there is an urgent need to rapidly expand complementary recycling solutions such as mechanical and chemical recycling. Through this joint letter, we are making a strong and collective plea.
“We urge the EU to adopt a mass balance chain of custody approach for calculating chemically recycled content in plastics, which is crucial for achieving the 2030 recycled content targets. Moreover, supporting chemical recycling as a complementary solution to mechanical recycling could attract more investments in this technology and help the EU achieve its targets.”
Virginia Janssens, Plastics Europe’s Managing Director, said: “We need all up- and down-stream levers to be deployed, including both mechanical and chemical recycling, to create a circular plastics economy. Chemical recycling is crucial because it is the only method available for recycling certain kinds of plastic waste and to reach the high-quality level for recycled plastics used for food contact, medical and other applications. However, the complexity of the European plastics system, and long-investment cycles, mean investment decisions taken now will determine what the industry looks like in 2050.
“To accelerate the growth of chemical recycling, investors need the confidence provided by a full recognition of chemical recycling and acceptance of the mass balance model by EU policy makers. The window of opportunity to make investment decisions is rapidly closing.”
