The EU has fallen short of its ambitious goal of reducing its plastic consumption by 2025. The report reveals that the EU’s plastic production and consumption have increased in recent years, despite the adoption of the European Strategy for Plastics in 2018.
The strategy aimed to transform the way plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled in the EU, and to transition to a sustainable plastics economy. It also set a target of recycling 50% of plastic packaging by 2025. HoweverEU’s plastic packaging recycling rate was only 41.5% in 2019, and that only 10% of the plastic waste generated in the EU was recycled into new products.
EU’s progress towards its plastic goals, such as low demand for recycled plastics, lack of incentives and standards for eco-design, insufficient waste collection and sorting systems, and low consumer awareness and engagement.
EU’s plastic consumption is expected to increase further in the coming years, driven by factors such as population growth, urbanisation, e-commerce, and the COVID-19 pandemic. EU’s plastic demand could reach 60 million tonnes by 2030, up from 49 million tonnes in 2018.
EU and its member states to take urgent and coordinated action to reduce their plastic footprint and achieve their circular economy objectives. There is need of recommends implementing more effective policies and measures, such as extending producer responsibility schemes, introducing mandatory recycled content requirements, promoting eco-design and innovation, enhancing consumer information and education, and strengthening global cooperation on plastics.