EU approves targets for chemical recycling content for plastic bottles

The European Commission's Waste Technical Adoption Committee has approved an implementing decision that expands the definition of recycling to include chemical recycling and clarifies how recycled content in single-use polyethylene terephthalate bottles is calculated and verified under the EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive.

The implementing decision, approved Feb. 6, aims to unify the SUPD's definition of recycling to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, or PPWR, to account for mass-balancing. As a result, this measure recognizes chemical recycling as an eligible feedstock for recycled content in beverage bottles.

"For years, recycled-content targets have been debated without a sufficiently clear and harmonized way to calculate and verify figures consistently across member states," Chemical Recycling Europe said in a statement. "This decision provides that common approach."

The implementing decision adopts the "fuel-use excluded" approach for calculating chemically recycled content via mass balancing, consistent with the Waste Framework Directive's principles. This methodology excludes waste used for fuel or energy recovery from recycled content calculations.

However, though the initial reaction has been positive, some chemical recyclers remain cautious.

Outi Teras, head of technology commercialization for chemical recycling at Neste, told Platts Feb. 9 that the EC's implementing decision "effectively excludes oil refineries from contributing to plastics circularity. She noted that if similar rules are also applied in the PPWR, it will negatively impact the ability to scale up plastic recycling.

The EU PPWR, which entered into force in February 2025 and will apply from August, requires all EU packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030 and mandates recycled content, among other policies.

In the chemical recycling market, meanwhile, producers continue to struggle to increase demand for mixed plastic waste amid ongoing hesitance to invest and cancelled project announcements. Traders have also added that limited improvements are expected unless production costs decrease and investment improves.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed European mixed plastic waste at Eur240/metric ton on Feb. 9, stable month over month.