Prompt implementation of calculation methods for recycled content in beverage bottles is crucial for the future of European plastic recycling, states Plastics Recyclers Europe.
Despite PET being the EU’s second-largest recycled polymer, the sector faces mounting challenges. Depressed prices and rising stockpiles – driven largely by low-cost imports – are threatening the survival of the established European recycling facilities precisely at the moment when they are needed most to deliver on EU circularity targets.
The forthcoming calculation methods under the Single‑Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) arrive at a decisive time: their definition of recycled plastic will determine whether Europe secures a strong recycling ecosystem or watches it erode under external market pressures.
By establishing a clear and robust definition of recycled plastic, that ensures recycled content targets are met primarily through recycling performed within Europe or under EU‑equivalent conditions, the Directive sends an unambiguous signal: Europe is committed to protecting its circular plastics industry, environmental goals, and strategic economic resilience. Far from being a technical adjustment, this definition provides the legal certainty required to safeguard existing industrial capacity, stimulate innovation, and anchor long‑term investment in European recycling.
Strengthening “Made in Europe” Recycling
The European plastics recycling sector has invested heavily over the past decade in high-quality bottle-to-bottle PET recycling infrastructure. These efforts are now delivering results. Recent data demonstrate that the EU is equipped to meet recycled content targets with its own capacities — without structural reliance on recycled PET from outside the Union.
Early estimates for 2025 show that 3.3 million tonnes of bottles were placed on the market, with PET recycling capacity increasing in parallel to approximately 3.2 million tonnes. These figures illustrate the strength and maturity of Europe’s PET recycling ecosystem – even before accounting for recent upgrades and efficiency gains.
Yet this progress is increasingly at risk. In the last three years, approximately 50 recycling plants have closed – with the loss of capacity in 2025 nearly tripling compared to 2023. PET alone accounted for 21% of the lost capacity. This wave of closures reflects the mounting competitive pressure faced by European recyclers – particularly in light of imports that do not necessarily meet equivalent environmental and traceability standards.
Additionally, the financial incentive behind low-cost imports overlooks the long-term sustainability targets and the reality of European operational and administrative costs. Without a proper system of verification, there is no guarantee that the imported materials uphold consumers’ health and safety to the same standards as European recyclates – which is why it is essential to ensure a level playing field.
While lower-priced imports may appear advantageous at first glance, the economic benefits are not necessarily passed on to consumers. Over time, this dynamic risks weakening local recycling capacity, employment, and investment – thereby increasing the Union’s reliance on external sources rather than reinforcing resilient, home-grown circular value chains.
A Decisive Step Forward for Europe’s Industrial and Environmental Future
The proposed definition of recycled plastic under the SUPD – part of the Commission’s Winter Package – is a strategic industrial policy choice, in the time of global production overcapacities, high energy and labour costs, and intensifying environmental commitments. By anchoring recycled content obligations in European value chains, the definition reinforces environmental credibility, prevents diversion of EU‑collected waste to lower‑standard markets or, worse, landfilling, and ensures that the economic benefits of circularity remain within the European industrial base.
For EU Member States, supporting this implementing decision means reinforcing Europe’s industrial sovereignty, environmental ambition, and commitment to a truly circular economy made in Europe, while securing green jobs. It also ensures that consumers can trust recycled content claims, as European and OECD‑equivalent recycling frameworks must guarantee verifiable origin, stringent environmental controls, and compliance with all relevant EU legislation, such as the food contact regulation which sets requirements for separate collection of waste and third-party certification of pre-processing steps.
Failing to implement this definition immediately would undermine Europe’s ability to stabilise its recycling sector, erode confidence in long‑term investment, and risk accelerating deindustrialisation in yet another strategic field. It is essential to secure a competitive, resilient, truly circular plastics economy – one that is “Made in Europe” and built to last.
Source: Plastics Recyclers Europe
