The Europe-wide campaign for voluntary pledges to strengthen the market for recycled plastics, initiated at the launch of the EU plastics strategy (see Plasteurope.com of 24.01.2018) has been welcomed by the European Commission (EC). If all 65 companies and industry associations fully deliver on their pledges, the EC estimates that at least 10m t of recyclates could be supplied by 2025. However, there is a gap between supply and demand – recycled plastics demand is expected to be only 5m t.

The EC is now analysing the pledges' impacts on supply (recycling companies) and demand (manufacturers and processors), according to the type of plastic. It will publish the results of this assessment in the first quarter of 2019. Many plastics recyclers as well as EPS and PET packaging brand owners are on the list of pledgers.

The analysis will also guide future actions, including the ongoing assessment of regulatory or economic incentives in areas such as the automotive, construction and packaging industries, as defined in the EU's plastics strategy – see Plasteurope.com of 19.01.2018. The EC said it will continue to welcome initiatives that help boost the European recyclates market. It intends to have collaborations across the supply chain, with a first stakeholder meeting to be organised in early 2019.