Several major players, including ExxonMobil and Shell, have suspended over €100 million in chemical recycling projects as the EU delays finalizing the methodology for calculating recycled content under the mass-balance approach.

The European Commission is preparing to adopt a unified methodology to calculate recycled content in polymer supply chains using the mass-balance approach.
However, the delay in defining how recycled input is allocated to finished products has already led major companies such as ExxonMobil and Shell to suspend or postpone investments exceeding €100 million in chemical recycling facilities in Antwerp and Rotterdam.

Industry stakeholders warn that the absence of a clear and harmonized accounting framework could jeopardize investment flows, reduce confidence in advanced recycling, and undermine circular economy objectives embedded in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The methodology will determine whether chemical recycling can count toward national recycling targets and how certificates of recycled content can be reported in ESG frameworks.

📍 Context: Draft EU methodology under discussion (Q4 2025)
📍 Impact: Polyolefins, packaging, chemical recycling investments