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Following the publication of the PPWR implementation guidance by the European Commission, industry bodies such as European Brands Association and FoodDrinkEurope warn that significant uncertainties remain, particularly around recycled content verification, costs, and consistent application across EU member states.

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.

Uniunea Europeană a finalizat noul Regulament privind ambalajele și deșeurile de ambalaje (PPWR), un cadru legislativ care va afecta direct producătorii de ambalaje, procesatorii de mase plastice, reciclatori și brandurile care pun produse pe piață. Regulamentul intră în aplicare din august 2026 și introduce cerințe obligatorii privind reciclabilitatea, conținutul reciclat și designul ambalajelor.

growing number of plastic packaging claims on European supermarket shelves are considered misleading by experts.
Specialists warn about the confusion between recyclable plastics, recycled plastics and so-called chemical recycling.
The lack of clear standards and independent verification increases the risk of greenwashing.

Uniunea Europeană își consolidează strategia privind ambalajele din plastic, punând un accent tot mai puternic pe conținutul reciclat, design for recycling și responsabilitatea producătorilor pe întreg ciclul de viață al produselor. Direcțiile pentru 2026 indică o trecere de la obiective generale la criterii tehnice și economice concrete.

The European Commission is launching a set of pilot measures targeting demand, supply and the regulatory framework of plastics recycling, as a preparatory step ahead of the Circular Economy Act scheduled for 2026.

The European Commission has reaffirmed its priorities for plastics circularity in 2026, focusing on recycled content, market stabilisation and a closer alignment between environmental objectives and industrial competitiveness.

The European plastics industry is calling for clear, harmonised and predictable rules on mandatory recycled content, warning that the lack of a coherent framework could slow investments and destabilise the market.

Despite having an advanced collection and sorting system, Germany is struggling to meet the European Union’s targets for plastic packaging recycling, highlighting structural limitations of the current European model.

The European Union is preparing to introduce stricter controls on imported plastics in 2026 to help its struggling recycling industry, amid record recycling capacity losses and competitive pressures from low-cost imports of virgin plastics.

The European Commission has introduced a package of pilot actions designed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the EU’s plastics sector, with specific measures to support recycling industries — including chemical recycling — and address competitive pressures. 
European Commission

The European Commission has introduced a package of pilot actions designed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the EU’s plastics sector, with specific measures to support recycling industries — including chemical recycling — and address competitive pressures. 
European Commission

European recycling associations warn of severe economic pressure on the plastics recycling sector and call for urgent measures to support demand and protect existing capacities.

ExxonMobil has suspended its European chemical-recycling expansion plans, citing regulatory uncertainty linked to the EU’s upcoming rules on recycled-content calculation and mass-balance methodologies

The European Commission is preparing a legislative Winter Package that will introduce harmonised End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for selected mechanically recycled plastics, enabling these materials to move freely across the European market as non-waste products.

Comisia Europeană anunță un nou pachet legislativ care va include criterii pentru ca anumite materiale plastice reciclate să părăsească statutul de „deșeu” și să circule liber pe piața europeană.

Industria europeană de reciclare a plasticului intră într-o fază critică: cifra de afaceri scade cu 5,5%, numeroase unități se închid, iar capacitatea pierdută se apropie de un milion de tone în ultimii trei ani.

The European Union formally adopts End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for recycled polyethylene (rPE) and polypropylene (rPP), establishing harmonized quality standards across the EU.

🇪🇺 The European Parliament approves tougher rules on packaging and plastic waste management.

♻️ New reduction targets: -10% by 2030, -15% by 2035, and -20% by 2040.

🏭 Producers will have to include minimum recycled content in all plastic packaging.

Proiectul de strategie europeană pentru 2030 introduce ținte obligatorii de conținut reciclat în ambalaje, interdicții treptate pentru materialele nereciclabile și o platformă digitală de trasabilitate a polimerilor.
Documentul marchează cel mai ambițios pas al Uniunii Europene în direcția unui sistem complet circular pentru masele plastice

Europe’s plastics producers warn of a deepening competitiveness crisis, as energy prices, regulatory complexity, and investment flight threaten the sector’s survival.

The European Commission is finalising the proposal for End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for plastics.

Regulation clarifies when recycled materials cease to be classified as waste.

Expected to boost cross-border trade and recyclate certification across the EU.

Publication anticipated within the next few weeks.

The European Commission has formally notified Romania for failing to correctly implement the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive.

Italian recycling companies warn that the crisis in plastic recycling is uneven across Europe, calling for a permanent institutional forum and urgent industrial policy measures to stabilize the sector.

Din 2026, toate ambalajele plastice din UE trebuie să fie 100% reciclabile la scară industrială.

Beverage producers across the EU report a shortage of high-quality r-PET.

A European investment fund announces the construction of a new state-of-the-art PET recycling plant in Poland, to meet the growing demand for high-quality rPET from packaging producers.

Comisia Europeană a trimis o scrisoare României, cerând corectarea transpunerii Directivei privind plasticul de unică folosință (SUP), invocând abateri legislative precum scutiri nepermise și lipsa stimulentelor pentru alternative durabile.

MEPs propose that every new type of vehicle should contain at least 20% recycled plastic within six years after the regulation enters into force.

The EU adopts Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), mandating that packaging is recyclable and reusable by 2030, with clear requirements on recycled content, packaging minimisation, reuse systems, and bans on selected single-use plastics.

Un nou raport al Centrului Comun de Cercetare (JRC) al Comisiei Europene arată că UE se confruntă cu pierderi semnificative pe lanțul valoric al plasticului și cu o rată redusă de circularitate, ceea ce impune măsuri urgente de reglementare și investiții.