Brussels — Six European organizations from the plastics value chain have voluntarily committed to recycle 50 percent of plastics waste by 2040.
The move comes as Europe's plastics industry is under increasing pressure, with some countries including the United Kingdom looking at bans or taxes on single-use plastics, and the European Union pledging to make all plastic packaging recyclable by 2030.
The plastics industry response is in cooperation with the European Commission and involves expanding existing plastics recycling activities within the European Union, the organizations said in a Jan. 16 statement.
The group also set a 70 percent target for recycling and reuse of plastics packaging, which it said could only be achieved through the involvement of the entire value chain, including raw material producers, designers, converters and brand owners.
"A real industrial transformation can only be accomplished through the strong engagement of the plastics converting industry, backed up by stakeholders from the entire plastics value chain," the joint statement said.
The participating organizations are: Plastics Recyclers Europe, Petcore Europe, the European Carpet and Rug Association, the Polyolefin Circularity Platform, European Plastics Converters and VinylPlus.