Experts from the Plastics Industry Association said that the European Commission has developed an ambitious 'Plastics Strategy' to make plastics use more environmentally friendly. This strategy focuses on the entire industry and should be included in the law.
Alexander Dangis, Managing Director of the European Plastics Processing Association (EuPC), said: 'The strategy's recycling goal is that all plastic packaging must be reused or made easy to recycle by 2030 and require 20 million by 2025. Tons of recycled plastics are converted into new products. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the industry will need legislative support.
In an interview after the conclusion of the circular economy conference held in Brussels from February 20 to 21, he said that the plastic strategy calls for 'significant actions throughout the value chain', with special focus on consumer education and waste management.
He said: 'Mechanical recycling may have reached technical limits, but if an appropriate sorting and plastic waste separation infrastructure is established in Europe, we can still make even greater contributions to the use of recycled plastics.'
'We also need to do our utmost to develop chemical recovery of polymers and develop new resource-efficient supply chains for the European petrochemical industry.'
Danges pointed out that despite the 'various sensational exaggeration statements' (such as the conference boasting itself as a plastic-less conference), 'people still admit the importance of plastics to our society.'
He pointed out that the EU plastics strategy still believes that 'plastic is an important and ubiquitous material'.
Dancies and other executives of the European Plastics Association, at the meeting of the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Council, opposed the ban on plastics.
Liano Garcia, director of public affairs at the European Plastics Trading Group, said in an interview after the meeting that proper waste management is the key to solving the problem.
Garcia said: 'The ecological design of plastics will improve recycling and resource efficiency, and new plastic packaging technology will increase the recyclability of plastic packaging. We are working hard to accelerate the development of mechanical and chemical recycling solutions. This will bring more High quality recycled materials and wider use of recycled products.
The association's 'Plastics 2030 - Voluntary Commitment' calls for the re-use and recyclability of 60% plastic packaging by 2030, before 2040, in all 28 countries in the EU, including Norway and Switzerland, achieving 100% of all plastics Reuse of packaging, recycling and/or recycling.
EU officials said they welcomed the community to pay attention to the plastics industry.
For example, the European Union’s internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SME commissioner, Elizabeth-Dzykowska, asked the industry to respond to appeals for more recyclable materials by June.
She said that the long-awaited proposal for a one-off plastics legislation will be released in May, and the “strategic research innovation agenda” for plastics will also be released by the end of this year. The first vice president of the European Commission, Franz- Timmermans said that the public’s increased awareness of plastics issues is like revisiting climate change: the same dimension, the same passion.
Krzyszka stated that only 14% of the world's plastics are recycled. This recognition is very important. The EU plastics strategy will 'solve the institutional deficiencies in the plastics value chain'. She emphasized that China promulgated plastic waste in January. After the import ban, the plastics industry needs to work harder.
However, speakers are still optimistic.
"We are on the right track. But if the industry agrees to reduce the use of polymers in plastic packaging, waste disposal will be much easier," said Mate Skoof, Senior Consultant, Sustainable Development, Copenhagen, Denmark.
"We shouldn't put all the plastic in a basket," said Nico Tweed, commercial director of Bar-le-Duc mineral water at United Soft Drinks, a Dutch beverage producer.
He also called for a reduction in plastic incineration, and stated that the 'refund deposit plan' will improve the quality of recyclable materials.