• Veniturile generate de Plastic Packaging Tax din Regatul Unit au scăzut la 250 milioane GBP în anul fiscal 2025/26, față de 261 milioane GBP în 2024/25. • Doar 37% din cantitatea totală de ambalaje din plastic declarată în 2025/26 a fost supusă taxei. • Aproximativ 1,506 milioane de tone de ambalaje au fost declarate ca având minimum 30% plastic reciclat, față de 1,569 milioane de tone în anul precedent. • Scăderea veniturilor din taxă nu poate fi interpretată automat drept o creștere a utilizării materialului reciclat. • Din aprilie 2027, Regatul Unit va permite utilizarea metodei mass balance pentru contabilizarea plasticului provenit din reciclare chimică în cadrul taxei.
• Around 4.5 tonnes of recycled plastic were incorporated into a test section of State Highway 205 in Rockwall, Texas. • The recycled plastic replaces approximately 8–10% of the bitumen used as asphalt binder — not the entire bitumen content. • The project is testing performance under real traffic, high temperatures, cracking and rutting conditions. • Researchers are also evaluating whether the technology could provide an outlet for low-value plastic waste that is difficult to recycle through conventional routes. • The road section was constructed in May 2025 and is being monitored over time to assess its long-term performance.
The EU's Ban on Plastic Waste Exports to Non-OECD Countries Is Set to Reshape the Recycling Market
Europe Changes the Rules of the Game: • From 21 November 2026, the European Union will prohibit exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries. • The measure is part of the new EU Waste Shipments Regulation and aims to keep more recyclable materials within Europe. • Recycling companies, traders and processors are already preparing for significant changes in material flows and supply chains. • More plastic waste is expected to remain in the European market, increasing the availability of secondary raw materials. • The new framework is expected to accelerate investment in recycling capacity while intensifying competition across the European recycling industry.
• Plastics Europe has published the 2026 edition of The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis. • The report reviews the evolution of the European plastics system during the 2022–2024 period. • Circular plastics production in Europe reached 8.7 million tonnes in 2024. • Annual growth in circular plastics production slowed significantly, from 13.6% in 2022 to just 1.2% in 2024. • 70.4% of collected plastic waste in Europe was still sent to incineration or landfill.
The European Union is introducing strict new rules under the Waste Shipments Regulation, including a ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries starting November 2026. The move is expected to significantly reshape recycling flows and increase pressure on Europe’s internal processing capacity.
A group of 16 European organizations from the recycling and materials sectors is calling on the European Commission to introduce a transition period for the new waste shipment rules set to enter into force on May 21, 2026, citing incomplete readiness of the digital system.
Eurostat has released new data showing that every EU citizen generated an average of 35.3 kg of plastic packaging waste in 2023 — a steady rise compared to previous years.
A new FutuRaM report highlights the vast potential of electronic waste (e-waste) as a domestic source of critical raw materials (CRMs) essential to the green transition.
Japan’s Ministry of Environment announced that starting January 2026, exports of mixed plastic waste will be completely banned. Only sorted fractions with full traceability will be allowed for export.