Communication COM(2018) 28 of 16 January 2018: A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy
– 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated in the EU every year – and the trend is upwards. Of this 39% is incinerated, 31% goes to landfill and 30% is collected for recycling (p. 2).
– About 50% of the plastic waste that is collected for recycling is sent to third countries, often with low environmental standards, of this about 85% is currently shipped to China. At the end of 2017, however, China decided to ban the import of plastic waste. (p. 16)
– The “ambitious set of EU measures” proposed in the Plastics Strategy serves to create a “circular plastics economy (p. 4), in which, throughout the entire “life cycle” of products – design, manufacture, use, disposal – resources are conserved, materials are used and remain in the circular economy for as long as possible and waste is avoided [Action Plan for the Circular Economy COM(2015) 614, p. 2–4; see cepPolicyBrief 2016-06].
– The Plastics Strategy aims to play a part in ensuring that, in future (p. 5) - less plastic waste leaks into the environment – particularly the oceans – and - the EU’s dependence on crude-oil imports is reduced.
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