LIFE tackling Europe’s plastic problem

Plastics are pervasive – microplastics have turned up on Everest, and in our lungs. Last year, Europe produced 54 million tonnes of plastic. In 2022, over 32 million tonnes of plastic waste was generated, with only 27% being recycled. The sustainability of plastics is a huge challenge, which is why it was the focus of LIFE networking meeting The Sustainability of Plastics at the end of November. 

The 2-day event focused on 3 areas: biobased plastics, alternatives for single-use plastics and circular plastics solutions, with European experts and representatives from LIFE projects sharing best practices, new technology, funding pathways, and policy development.  

The EU plastics sector consists of around 52 000 companies, generating €365 billion, and employing approximately 1.5 million people. Over the last 10 years, the budget of LIFE-funded plastic-related projects has exceeded €232 million, with around more than €119 million provided in terms of EU financing. These projects are finding solutions to reduce plastic pollution, tackle waste and develop innovative ways to produce, and reuse materials. They champion awareness about our relationship with plastic and its devastating impact on the environment.  

4 LIFE projects were featured at the meeting showcasing risks and successes. PlasticLIFEcycle standardises waste streams and sorts mixed hard waste instead of sending it to landfill. LIFE-RESTART turns food waste into biodegradable biopolymers for containers and packaging in a circular economy approach. LIFE ABSolutely Circular is showing how waste plastic can get a new life, in this case as LEGO bricks. LIFEPLASMIX recovered and recycled plastic mix and turned it into high-quality pellets for new products.  

During the event’s 3 panels and 1 project session, a key observation was that the shift to plastic sustainability is a complex systemic issue. It’s not a case of just encouraging circularity, but a smarter use of resources, consumer behaviours, and the partial shift to alternative feedstock such as bioplastics. Plastics policy and different targets (e.g. recycling, recycled content) have been positive signals for the market. However, an important next step is for interventions to create a level playing field, especially with plastics and producers from outside the EU.  

Another point was about preventing plastic being produced in the first place, rather than focusing on traditional recycling. LIFE has contributed to the funding and support of innovation and the plastics transition. However, participants stated an increase of LIFE projects concentrating on plastics prevention would be an important trajectory.   

Discussions addressed the role of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) – responsible for improving product sustainability and a framework for setting ecodesign requirements on specific product groups. Participants discussed how it would be important to include plastics as a priority sector for ESPR’s implementation.  

Speakers and panellists represented European Commission, project managers of the 4 LIFE projects, Plastics Europe, Plastic Recyclers Europe, Zero Waste Europe, European Environment Agency, Carbios, European Plastics Converters, University of Maastricht, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Institute for European Environmental Policy, European Bioplastics, and Rethink Plastics Alliance.        

Topics and discussions in The Sustainability of Plastics event were aligned to EU Directives on waste, landfill waste, energy end-use efficiency and energy services; the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, Packaging Directive and Single use plastics Directive