Experts from the Plastics Industry Association say that the European Commission has developed an ambitious "plastic strategy" to make plastic use more environmentally friendly. The strategy, which focuses on the whole industry, should be included in the law.

"The goal of the strategy is that all plastic packages must be reused or recycled by 2030, and that 10 million tons of recycled plastic will be converted into new products by 2025," said Alexander Dan Ji, managing director of the EuPC. To achieve these ambitious goals, the industry will need legislative support. "

After an interview at the end of the circular economy conference held in Brussels from 20 to 21 February, he said that the plastic strategy called for "the great action of the whole value chain", with particular attention to consumer education and waste management.

"Mechanical recycling may have reached technical limitations," he said, "but we can still make a greater contribution to the use of recycled plastics if the appropriate separation and separation infrastructure is established in Europe. More efforts should be made to develop polymer chemical recovery, and develop new resources and efficient supply chain for European petrochemical industry. "

Dangis pointed out that, although there was "a variety of sensational exaggerations" (such as the conference self - boasting as a non plastic meeting), "people still recognize the importance of plastic to our society. "He pointed out that EU plastics strategy still believes that plastics are an important and ubiquitous material.

Dangis and other European Plastics Association Executives opposed the ban on plastic products at the meetings held by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Commission.

In an interview at the end of the meeting, lono Garcia, a public affairs chief of the European plastics trade group, said that proper waste management was the key to solving the problem.

Garcia said: "eco design of plastics will improve cyclicity and resource efficiency, and the new plastic packaging technology will enhance the recyclability of plastic packaging. We are working hard to speed up the development of mechanical and chemical recovery solutions. This will bring higher quality recycled materials and more widely used recycled products.

The association's "plastic 2030- voluntary commitment" calls for the re use and recycling of 60% plastic packages by 2030. Before 2040, 100% of the 28 European countries, including Norway and Switzerland, were reused, recycled and / or recycled for all plastic packages.

EU officials say they welcome the attention of all sectors of the society to the plastics industry.

For example, the European Union's internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise members, Elizabeth Bian coska, asked the industry to call for more recyclable materials to respond by June.

She said the long-awaited one-off plastic legislative proposal will be released in May, and the strategic research innovation agenda will be released by the end of this year. The first vice president of the European Commission, Franz tie manmans, said public awareness of the problem of plastic is like a Rediscussion of climate change: the same dimension, the same enthusiasm. "

It's very important to know that only 14% of the world's plastics are recycled. The EU plastics strategy will "solve the institutional defects in the plastic value chain". She emphasized that after China promulgated the import ban on plastic waste in January, the plastics industry needs to work harder.

However, speakers remain optimistic.

Copenhagen City, the Danish senior adviser to the Ministry of sustainable development Mette Skovgaard said: "we are on the right track in the development. But if the industry agrees to reduce the types of polymers used in plastic packaging, waste disposal is much easier. "

(source: Plastic News)