Technological watch

“Faster systemic change is essential, across all industrial value chains, including automotive, to meet the EU’s 2050 climate and circularity goals. That is why Plastics Europe welcomes today’s End-of-Life Vehicles proposal and the high level of ambition shown by the European Commission. Today’s proposal is an important step in the right direction for the automotive sector, but also sets a precedent for the packaging (currently undergoing its own review round), and other, sectors by recognising the importance of mandatory recycled content targets as a driver of circularity.”

Virginia Janssens – Managing Director of Plastics EuropeCopyright Danny GysFurther reactions by the plastics industryMany of the plastics used in the automotive industry are high performance products which require the highest quality of polymers available, and which can be very difficult to recycle. Therefore, the ambitious 25% recycled content targets proposed by the Commission can only be met with a combination of mechanical recycling, and innovative technologies such as chemical recycling.”

Plastics Europe members are undertaking huge investments and a far-reaching reorganisation of their production and technology base, but to accelerate the growth of chemical recycling, and meet the Commission’s ambitious recycled content targets, we urgently need an enabling policy framework. Industry needs a green light to invest in chemical recycling and mass balance.”