With European plastics recyclers ceasing production due to the market developments caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (see Plasteurope.com of 20.05.2020), the major problems are the lack of demand due to the closure of converting plants, record low prices for virgin plastics and decreased activity globally, says Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsrecyclers.eu). This is also reflected in Western European polymer prices for recycled standard thermoplastic grades and engineering recyclate (see Plasteurope.com of 18.05.2020 and 19.05.2020).

The plastics recycling sector in Europe comprises around 500 companies and 18,000 employees and generates EUR 3 bn in turnover, according to PRE. “If the situation is to persist and no actions are taken to remedy the sector, plastics recycling will cease to be profitable, hampering the attainment of the EU recycling targets and putting in jeopardy the transition towards circular plastics,” says PRE president Ton Emans. He adds that this could result in plastics waste being landfilled or incinerated instead of recycled.

PRE calls on the EU and member states to include recycling as one of the sectors supported by their “Recovery Plans” and to continue implementing the measures under the “Circular Economy umbrella”. “Damage to the recycling market would, in addition to the grave environmental consequences, have far reaching social-economic impacts due to the extensive employment in the waste management value chain,” notes Emans. The survival of the secondary raw materials market is essential to reduce Europe’s use of virgin plastics and to safeguard further investments in the sector, says PRE.

PRE rescheduled its “Plastics Recycling Show Europe” to October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic (see Plasteurope.com of 11.03.2020). Plasteurope.com keeps an updated list of event changes and cancellations at www.pieweb.com/corona-events-listing.