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MWE Position Paper: EU Plastics Strategy in the Circular Economy
18 Apr 2018We are sharing with you the "EU Plastic Strategy in Circular Economy" document, prepared and shared with the public by MWE (Municipal Waste Europe), the umbrella organization representing Europe's public responsibility on waste.
21. Plastic, which forms a very important part of our 21st century economy, has now become a major environmental problem. Due to the diversity in plastic packaging materials and the number of plastic packages involved in the daily waste stream, plastic waste causes difficulties in resource and waste management, as there are problems that need to be addressed regarding life expectancy, repairability, reusability and recyclability, especially in the field of packaging. This situation puts a strain on waste collection systems, and in countries that do not have an effective waste collection and disposal system, these plastic packages easily become terrestrial and marine garbage. In fact, even though it is technically recyclable, in such a case plastic packaging cannot be effectively recycled because it does not reach the recycling facility.
Actions required to correct problems:
1. Effective Separate Collection of Packaging. Attracting the necessary investment in the separate collection of waste to obtain clean, recyclable flows will only be possible if the tasks are clarified and GÜS fully assumes the costs. GÜS can also be implemented using deposit return programs or combining them according to countries' preferences.
2. All plastics must be designed to be recycled.There are currently 27 base polymers on the market and an endless number of combinations and variations, many of which are used in single-use products. This diversity of polymers and their daily introduction into the waste stream is the most expensive aspect of collection, separation and recycling for municipalities. MWE recommends limiting the types of polymers used in FMCG products and that all polymers used for such products be designed for cost-effective separation and recycling. 
4. Definition of Biodegradable Plastic.There are currently so many different uses of the term biodegradable plastic that waste disposal professionals do not know which disposal method, if any, is appropriate for the different plastic products classified as biodegradable. Before this term can be used further in practice, a clear definition must be established and applied.
5. Amount of Recycled Materials.MWE supports requiring a minimum amount of recycled materials in new plastic products as a way to encourage recycling and reduce the use of primary raw materials.
6. Government subsidies.Recycled plastic will always be at a competitive disadvantage, while fossil fuels still have subsidies that make new plastics cheaper than recycled plastics. Therefore, this is the first economic obstacle that must be eliminated.
7. Innovation.New separation and recycling procedures, including depolymerization, are being developed very rapidly, which will enable plastics to be recycled or recombined to form new polymers indefinitely. Therefore, although the number of recycling cycles is currently low (for example, 6 cycles for PET), new techniques may change this in the future.
8. Non-packaging items: Toys, textiles, other household items. Municipal waste also includes many non-packaging plastics, which are today treated under the general heading "plastic" in the Waste Framework Directive, with a 50% recycling target. However, many member states do not have collection and recycling programs for such plastic waste because there is more focus on plastics addressed through Extended Producer Responsibility Programmes. As a result, they are often taken to landfills as residual waste or even become marine waste.
The recycling market for some hard plastics already exists and this should be further supported. Future regulations on plastics should require these items to be recyclable.
9. Repair and Reuse.The plastics strategy should focus on facilitating the collection of relevant waste products for repair and reuse and removing barriers, if any, to this process. This can be in EU legislation or in national legislation.
10. EU Funds.European Funds, whether grants, loans or a combination of these; To ensure that the next generation of plastic products are recyclable, it should take care to support innovation in ecological design, innovation in recycling, the establishment of new recycling facilities in Europe that can accommodate large amounts of plastic waste no longer imported by China, investment in new separation techniques, conversion of less performing techniques and investment in effective collection methods.
11. MWE will work closely with all member municipalities and other European municipalities to assist them in implementing the new requirements in the revised Waste Framework Directive as well as those mentioned above. We will be delighted to work side by side with the Commission's services to advance the changes needed to both prevent further environmental degradation and ensure a circular and stable economy.
12. Plastics should be used for energy recovery rather than being sent to landfill.In today's waste stream, very few polymers are and are actually recycled. It would be better for the European economy to use waste-to-energy waste for energy recovery rather than losing it in landfills. In many examples in Europe, where landfills are open, sending waste to energy recovery rather than landfilling will eliminate the possibility of these plastics turning into terrestrial and marine waste.
Source: Taken from EXPRA Bulletin.
Detailed information: https://www.municipalwasteeurope.eu/position/eu-strategy-plastics-circular-economy
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