European recyclers call for regional preference under PPWR

Three major European recycling organisations are calling on the European Commission to introduce a clear “Made in Europe” preference when implementing recycled-content requirements for plastic packaging under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

FEAD, Plastics Recyclers Europe and Recycling Europe argue that the upcoming implementing rules should ensure that mandatory recycled-content targets create stable demand for material recovered and processed within Europe rather than increasing reliance on imported recyclates.

PPWR targets create new demand for recycled plastics

Article 7 of the PPWR introduces mandatory recycled-content requirements for several categories of plastic packaging from 2030, increasing the strategic importance of high-quality secondary polymers across the European packaging market.

The recycling organisations support these targets but warn that their industrial benefits could be weakened if packaging producers are able to meet obligations primarily through lower-cost imported materials whose environmental performance and recycled origin may be harder to verify.

Packaging made in Europe could prioritise European recyclate

Under the proposed approach, plastic packaging produced or filled within Europe would use post-consumer recycled material originating from waste collected and recycled within the EU27, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom when calculating compliance with recycled-content targets.

The organisations argue that this would provide greater demand certainty for European recycling plants while supporting local investment, employment and circular material flows.

Mirror measures proposed for imported packaging

For packaging manufactured and filled outside Europe before being placed on the EU market, the associations want stricter mirror measures to ensure that imported recyclates meet standards equivalent to those applied to European operators.

They propose assessments at both country and individual facility level, including verification that waste is managed under comparable environmental conditions and that recycling installations meet appropriate operational and traceability requirements.

Third-party certification could become essential

The joint statement calls for independent certification of recycling facilities in approved third countries, with certificates valid for limited periods and capable of demonstrating compliance with equivalent environmental and production standards.

Such verification would help packaging producers prove that imported recycled material qualifies towards PPWR targets while reducing the risk of unverified or incorrectly declared recyclates entering European supply chains.

Traceability moves further up the packaging agenda

The organisations are also calling for stronger chain-of-custody systems capable of tracking the origin of post-consumer plastic waste and recycled polymers throughout international supply chains.

Harmonised documentation, market surveillance and enforcement would be needed to ensure that recycled-content claims can be verified consistently across Member States.

European recycling sector faces financial pressure

The proposal comes as European plastics recyclers report plant closures, weak demand, high operating costs and increased competition from imported recycled and virgin polymers.

Recycling Europe says the continent lost approximately one million tonnes of plastic recycling capacity between 2023 and 2025, raising concerns that further capacity could disappear before PPWR recycled-content targets fully begin creating demand.

Implementing act expected later in 2026

The European Commission is expected to develop an implementing act covering the PPWR mirror clause and recycled-content verification framework during the fourth quarter of 2026.

The outcome could determine how imported recyclates are treated and whether the regulation creates a direct industrial incentive for packaging manufacturers to source secondary plastics from European recyclers.

Recycled content becomes an industrial policy issue

The debate shows how recycled-content requirements are moving beyond environmental regulation and into industrial strategy. The origin of recyclate, the reliability of verification systems and the competitiveness of domestic recycling capacity are becoming increasingly connected.

For packaging producers, the final rules could influence sourcing strategies, material costs and documentation requirements as companies prepare to meet mandatory recycled-content thresholds from 2030.