EU recyclers seek preference for European recycled plastic under packaging rules
European recycling groups want the EU’s packaging rules to favor recycled plastic produced from post-consumer waste collected and processed in Europe. Their proposal would also impose equivalence, certification and traceability requirements on materials and packaging from third countries.
Industry calls for a European sourcing preference
Europe’s leading waste-management and recycling organizations are urging the European Commission to give preference to recycled plastic produced in Europe when implementing mandatory recycled-content targets for plastic packaging. According to Residuos Profesional, FEAD, Plastics Recyclers Europe and Recycling Europe argue that a “Made in Europe” approach would connect the environmental objectives of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, with the preservation and development of European industrial capacity.
The groups say the European plastics recycling industry is under pressure from plant closures, weaker demand, international competition and rising imports of materials marketed as recycled. They contend that the recycled content of some imported materials cannot always be verified effectively. The joint statement therefore treats market surveillance and traceability as central issues, rather than limiting the debate to the nominal percentage of recycled material used in packaging.
PPWR implementation will define eligible material
Article 7 of the PPWR establishes mandatory recycled-content targets for plastic packaging from 2030. The regulation also provides for mechanisms intended to create equivalent conditions between European recyclers and operators in third countries. An implementing act specifying how these provisions will work is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, making its design important for recyclers, packaging producers, fillers and companies supplying secondary raw materials.
For packaging produced or filled within the European Union, the organizations propose that the targets should be met with plastic derived from post-consumer waste collected and recycled in Europe. Their proposed geographical scope includes the EU, the European Free Trade Association and the United Kingdom. The groups argue that this rule would create stable demand for secondary raw materials produced in the region and support continued investment in recycling capacity.
The statement also calls for equivalence requirements, described as mirror measures, for packaging manufactured and filled outside the EU and subsequently placed on the European market. Under the proposed two-level system, the Commission would first assess whether the country supplying the recycled material applies conditions equivalent to European requirements for environmentally sound waste management and circular-economy policies.
Certification and traceability would shape imports
Recycling plants in approved countries would then face specific certification procedures. Only material from facilities certified by independent third parties and able to demonstrate equivalent environmental, operational and traceability standards would count toward the PPWR targets. Suggested controls include chain-of-custody systems, documentary requirements and independent verification covering post-consumer plastic waste and recycled material throughout the value chain.
Such a framework would not automatically exclude recycled plastic from outside Europe, but it could raise the compliance threshold for foreign suppliers and imported packaging. Exporters would need stronger documentation, while European importers and packaging users would have to examine the origin and certification of qualifying material more closely. For regional recyclers, a preference tied to European collection and processing could improve demand visibility, although the final commercial effect will depend on the implementing act.
FEAD, PRE and Recycling Europe maintain that the PPWR targets can deliver both environmental and industrial benefits only if they generate effective demand for high-quality recycled plastic produced in Europe or under equivalent standards. They link the issue to industrial competitiveness, security of secondary-raw-material supply and investment in new recycling capacity. The Commission’s 2026 implementing rules will therefore determine not only how recycled content is verified, but also which plants and supply chains can participate in the EU packaging market from 2030.