The European Commission is setting a clear agenda for plastics circularity in 2026, focusing on increasing the use of recycled plastics, legislative clarification (including end-of-waste criteria), and policy tools designed to stimulate demand for recycled materials in packaging.

According to an analysis published by Packaging Europe, the European Commission is placing plastics circularity high on its strategic priorities for 2026, at a time when Europe still recycles only a limited share of plastics back into new products.

The Commission’s roadmap includes several key policy directions:

- embedding plastics circularity into the upcoming Circular Economy Act;

- introducing harmonised end-of-waste criteria for recycled plastics;

- creating separate customs codes for recycled versus virgin plastics, improving traceability;

- implementing measures to stimulate market demand for recycled plastics, particularly in packaging.

The analysis highlights the existing gap between policy ambitions and market reality: only a small proportion of collected plastics currently return to equivalent applications. As a result, the Commission is shifting the focus from collection volumes alone toward recycling quality and effective material uptake.

For the packaging and plastics industries, these policy directions could have significant implications:

- increased pressure on packaging design for recyclability;

- stronger demand for high-quality, compliant recyclates;

- better alignment between environmental policy objectives and industrial feasibility.

Overall, the message from Brussels is clear: 2026 should mark the transition from theoretical targets to functioning market mechanisms for plastics circularity in Europe.