Resource (in)efficiency in the EU: a case of plastic waste

Abstract

Motivation: Plastics are versatile materials with applications in numerous sectors. They contribute to effective resource protection during their usage phase but a great challenge is increasing amount of unmanaged plastic waste and its environmental impact. Meanwhile, plastic waste is a valuable raw material. Appropriate management reduces environmental pressure and brings economic benefits. The transition to circularity is a strategic objective of the EU but it involves numerous obstacles. This article deals with these issues.
 Aim: The purpose of the article is to indicate the scale of losses in one of key waste stream — plastic waste — by looking at origin, way of collection and treatment of end-of-use plastics. The analysis aims to show the level of recycling in relation to the demand for plastic (as commonly used recycling indicator refers only to the plastic waste collected), the way the plastic waste is managed in various sectors and the specific barriers to its recycling.
 Results: Recycling of plastic waste accounts for only about 5–10% of the total demand for plastic. Overall, post-consumer plastic waste collected for treatment constitutes 49% of plastics production. 32.5% of those collected plastics is recycled, compared with 25% of plastics landfilled and 42.5% recovered for energy. Still a lot of plastic waste is exported to developing countries, some is hidden in untracked trade flow or illegal landfills. The EU is shifting from linear to circular approach but it is only the beginning of economic transformation towards plastics circularity.

Evaluating strategies for sustainable recovery and recycling of plastic waste in the West Bank of Palestine: The perspectives of plastic companies

“…However, 80% of the companies agreed with the strategy involving the development and implementation of community awareness programs, aiming at supporting consumer attitude towards PW recovery and recycling. Awareness programs might target consumers and change their behavior regarding plastic use and disposal from linear to circular approach (Baran, 2022 ; Mehta et al, 2021 ). The plastic companies request immediate action from community members, rather than long-term cooperation of next generation.…”

“…It was found that higher rates of PW recovery and recycling are noticed in countries with landfill restrictions of recoverable and recyclable waste (PlasticsEurope, 2019 ) and those with the option of waste exportation to global markets such as China and India (Brems et al, 2012 ). In 2018, three European countries, namely, Switzerland, Austria, and Netherlands, had approached a zero landfilling target to achieve the circular economy of plastics (Baran, 2022 ; PlasticsEurope, 2019 ).…”

“…Technological advancements play a significant role in decreasing the cost of recycled plastic constituting the secondary plastic raw material similar to the original one in terms of cost and effectiveness as well (Baran, 2022 ; Hossain et al, 2021 ; Mwanza et al, 2018 ; Ncube et al, 2021 ; Shen et al, 2020 ). Technology advancements made it easy for certain European countries such as Spain, Austria, Italy, Norway, and Germany to recycle rigid and flexible packaging materials (Hopewell et al, 2009 ).…”

“…Incineration and landfilling are the most common methods used for PW management in several countries such as the USA, Brazil, Germany, and India (Hossain et al, 2021 ). Out of the PW collected in the world, 42.6% is recovered for energy, 32.5% is recycled, and 24.9% is landfilled (Baran, 2022 ; PlasticsEurope, 2019 ). Yet, recent studies have even shown larger percentages of PW being disposed of into the environment or landfilled in Palestine (Anayah et al, 2021 ; Thoni & Matar, 2019 ) and the globe (Chamas et al, 2020 ; Kumar et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Despite the fact that waste-to-energy practices are largely applied in developed countries (PlasticsEurope, 2019 ), they constitute the least preferred option for developing countries due to the existing poor infrastructure (Ncube et al, 2021 ), technological limitations, and operating costs (Lopez et al, 2017 ), as well as health and environmental hazards (Hossain et al, 2021 ). Therefore, the circular economy and resource efficiency principles need to be considered for a successful PW management (Baran, 2022 ; Kumar et al, 2021 ).…”