Standards Development

Scope

This document has been developed to ensure transparency regarding the input stream for recycling and to assist all plastic industry stakeholders in the development of new and improved standards for plastic recycling.

The objective for this report is to identify materials suitable for the manufacture of recyclates and develop definitions for the commercially available recycling technologies including corresponding intermediates and final products.

This document considers recycling technologies exclusively for plastic production or polymerization.

Purpose

This document has been developed to ensure transparency regarding the input stream for recycling and to assist all plastic industry stakeholders in the development of new and improved standards for plastic recycling.

The objective for this report is to identify materials suitable for the manufacture of recyclates and develop definitions for the commercially available recycling technologies including corresponding intermediates and final products.

In order to promote implementation of the circular economy in plastic industry, European Commission has set up recycling targets for the plastic industry. The recycling targets imply, among other measures, an increased recycling rate for plastic products. At the same time, the recycling targets do not clearly specify, which plastic materials can be used as an input stream for the manufacture of recyclates, in order to meet the recycling targets.

The Directive 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, which amends Waste Framework Directive (WFD) 2008/98/EC of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, defines the recycling as “any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations”.

However, this definition lacks precision regarding classification of plastic waste materials as postconsumer materials (PCM) or postindustrial materials (PIM). This classification is important due to different recycling efforts required for the recycling of these two types of waste materials. Furthermore, a clear definition of PIM enables its differentiation from the reutilized plastic materials generated during a production process, which cannot be used for the manufacture of recyclates. Finally, a distinction between PIM and PCM provides a basis for subsequent regulations regarding recycling of plastic.

Furthermore, in order to implement circular economy, it is crucial to establish a universal wording for plastic recycling technologies and the term “recyclate” with regard to the used recycling technologies. This wording needs to accurately reflect the unique features of a given recycling technology, the state and workability of the corresponding intermediates and products.