News

• Comisia Europeană confirmă o perioadă de tranziție pentru documentele Annex VII (Green List) până la 31 decembrie 2026.
• Transporturile Green List pot continua să fie gestionate prin procedurile utilizate până acum.
• Obligația utilizării DIWASS NU este anulată.
• Procedurile care necesită notificare rămân obligatoriu în DIWASS începând cu 21 mai 2026.
• Operatorii trebuie să continue înregistrarea și pregătirea pentru digitalizarea transferurilor de deșeuri.

• Japonia se confruntă cu o criză de aprovizionare cu naftă, materie primă esențială pentru petrochimie
• Producția de polietilenă utilizată pentru pungi și saci a scăzut cu 62% față de anul precedent
• Sunt afectate pungile de cumpărături, tăvile alimentare și mănușile de unică folosință
• Creșterile de prețuri și lipsa materiilor prime se extind și în Coreea de Sud și Taiwan
• Situația confirmă presiunea globală asupra piețelor de PE și PP

• PLAST 2026 opens today, 9 June, at Fiera Milano Rho — runs until 12 June 2026
• Over 1,000 exhibitors, 44% international, from more than 109 countries
• Total exhibition area exceeds 40,000 m² across six halls
• Three satellite shows: RUBBER, 3D PLAST and PLAST-MAT
• Key themes: recycling technology, energy-efficient machinery, bio-based and recycled polymers, automation and AI
• Major exhibitors present include BASF, Krauss

Major Italian recyclers have stopped collecting bales from sorting centres
• Sorting centres risk reaching maximum storage capacity and halting acceptance of mixed plastic waste
• Industry association Assorimap is calling for urgent measures, including bringing forward mandatory recycled content requirements to 2027
• Italy's €450/tonne single-use plastics tax has been postponed for the eighth time, now to January 2027
• High energy costs and competition from non-EU imports of virgin and recycled plastic

- PE prices in April moved up by approximately 660 €/tonne, bringing total 2026 increases to around 990 €/tonne
- PP suppliers seek additional non-monomer price increases of 88–220 €/tonne on top of rising PGP contract settlements
- PS prices driven up by sharply higher benzene and butadiene feedstock costs
- PVC and PET also record increases, supported by plant shutdowns and raw material cost pressure
- Iranian conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions continue to impact global energy and feedstock supply chains

• Plastics Europe has published the 2026 edition of The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis.
• The report reviews the evolution of the European plastics system during the 2022–2024 period.
• Circular plastics production in Europe reached 8.7 million tonnes in 2024.
• Annual growth in circular plastics production slowed significantly, from 13.6% in 2022 to just 1.2% in 2024.
• 70.4% of collected plastic waste in Europe was still sent to incineration or landfill.

• RetuRO a comunicat tarifele de administrare finale pentru anul 2026 în cadrul Sistemului de Garanție-Returnare (SGR).
• Noile tarife vor intra în vigoare la 8 iunie 2026.
• Diferențele dintre tarifele interimare aplicate de la 1 ianuarie 2026 și tarifele finale vor fi regularizate ulterior.
• Costurile sunt suportate de producătorii și importatorii de băuturi pentru fiecare ambalaj SGR introdus pe piață.
• Tarifele diferă în funcție de material, dimensiune și culoarea ambalajului.

138 companies and industry organizations have asked the European Commission to postpone certain PPWR requirements scheduled to apply from 12 August 2026.
Signatories include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kraft Heinz, Heineken and other major food and packaging companies.
Industry representatives cite unresolved technical and regulatory issues, including PFAS testing methodologies, recyclability requirements and definitions of single-use packaging.
More than 160 environmental and health organizations have urged the Commission to keep the current timeline unchanged.
No official postponement of the PPWR implementation schedule has been announced by the European Commission.

• The European recycled plastics market remains volatile in May 2026
• rPE (recycled polyethylene) prices show moderate increases in certain segments
• rPET and rPP continue to face limited availability and cautious demand
• Processors are still closely comparing recycled versus virgin material costs
• Regulatory pressure regarding recycled content targets is increasingly influencing purchasing strategies

Sistemul de Garanție-Returnare (SGR) din România a depășit pragul de 10 miliarde de ambalaje colectate de la lansare
• RetuRO anunță o rată medie de colectare de aproximativ 83% în 2025
• În primele patru luni din 2026, rata medie de colectare a ajuns la aproximativ 85%
• Peste 740.000 de tone de PET, aluminiu și sticlă au fost trimise către reciclatori
• România este prezentată ca unul dintre cele mai rapide sisteme SGR dezvoltate la nivel european

• L-Boxx Contractor won at Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2026
• Product contains more than 70% post-consumer recycled polypropylene (PCR)
• Material originates from end-of-life vehicles and large household appliances
• Product still meets Bosch requirements for impact and drop resistance
• Example of mechanical recycling integrated into a demanding technical application

On 18 May 2026, on the eve of Plastpol at Targi Kielce, Poland, more than 100 representatives of the plastics industry gathered for the Plastics Industry Meeting to address three structural pressures reshaping the sector: geopolitical instability, rising costs and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. The central question was how Europe can maintain a level playing field in the global plastics market without weakening its own industrial base.

The countdown is on: on 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation EU 2025/40) becomes mandatory across all EU member states, with no national transposition. With fewer than 80 days to the deadline, Europe's packaging industry is navigating compliance pressure, implementation uncertainties and a failed last-minute attempt by single-use packaging producers to delay the regulation.

A pilot run by the Global Impact Coalition — a coalition of BASF, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC, Suez and Syensqo — confirms that plastics from end-of-life vehicles can be technically recovered and processed. The main barrier, however, is not technology: it is economic coordination and the absence of a functioning value chain across all actors involved.

Experții FAO (Organizația ONU pentru Alimentație și Agricultură) avertizează că utilizarea plasticului reciclat în ambalajele pentru alimente ridică întrebări importante privind siguranța alimentară și necesită sisteme de reciclare atent gestionate, pentru a preveni migrarea substanțelor chimice dăunătoare în alimente. Raportul vine în contextul în care legislația europeană (PPWR) introduce cerințe obligatorii de conținut reciclat în ambalajele alimentare.

The Global Impact Coalition (GIC), a CEO-led organisation of major chemical companies, has published the results of the first phase of its "Automotive Plastics Circularity" project in May 2026: plastics from end-of-life vehicles can be technically recovered and processed at scale, but commercial viability remains the industry's primary challenge.

• Cercetători europeni dezvoltă soluții pentru reutilizarea plasticelor provenite din vehicule scoase din uz (ELV) direct în automobile noi.
• Proiectul urmărește crearea unei bucle „car-to-car” pentru materialele plastice auto.
• Obiectivul este reducerea dependenței de materii prime virgine și creșterea utilizării materialelor reciclate.
• Viitorul regulament european ELV pune presiune tot mai mare pe OEM-uri și furnizori.
• Recuperarea plasticelor tehnice auto devine una dintre marile provocări ale industriei europene de reciclare.

• Nouryon a prezentat la PRSE 2026 o tehnologie nouă pentru îmbunătățirea proprietăților polipropilenei reciclate.
• Soluția utilizează peroxizi speciali pentru modificarea controlată a structurii PP reciclat.
• Tehnologia este destinată în special aplicațiilor unde PP reciclat degradat are limitări mecanice sau de procesare.
• Industria automotive și sectorul ambalajelor sunt printre domeniile vizate.
• Subiectul vine într-un moment în care UE crește presiunea pentru utilizarea materialelor reciclate în produse noi.

• Mai multe organizații europene cer ca obiectivele UE privind conținutul reciclat să favorizeze materialele produse în Europa
• Industria avertizează că importurile ieftine de material reciclat pot afecta investițiile europene în reciclare
• Propunerea vizează în special viitoarele ținte obligatorii din regulamentul PPWR
• Reciclatorii europeni solicită condiții egale pentru materialele importate și cele produse în UE
• Tema devine strategică pentru industria europeană a maselor plastice și reciclării

• Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2026 took place during PRSE 2026 in Amsterdam
• The awards highlighted innovative technologies, products and projects from the plastics recycling industry
• Solutions for recyclable packaging, PCR integration and recycling automation were among the winners
• The event gathered recyclers, converters, machinery producers and packaging companies from across Europe
• The 2026 edition focused strongly on practical circularity and high-quality recycled materials

• Uniunea Europeană accelerează implementarea sistemului digital DIWASS pentru transporturile de deșeuri
• Sistemul va digitaliza documentele și trasabilitatea transporturilor transfrontaliere
• Traderii, brokerii, reciclatorii și transportatorii vor fi direct afectați
• Obiectivul UE este creșterea controlului și reducerea fraudelor din sector
• Industria reciclării din România trebuie să se pregătească pentru noile proceduri digitale

• RetuRO anunță peste 1 miliard de ambalaje colectate în T1 2026
• Rata medie de returnare a ajuns la aproximativ 88%
• Sistemul SGR continuă să crească la nivel național
• PET-ul, aluminiul și sticla intră tot mai mult în circuitul de reciclare
• Datele confirmă dezvoltarea infrastructurii de colectare și reciclare din România

Comisia Europeană analizează controale suplimentare pentru importurile de plastic reciclat
• Reciclatorii europeni reclamă presiunea materialelor low-cost din afara UE
• Se discută audituri și verificări stricte privind trasabilitatea și conținutul reciclat
• Industria europeană cere protejarea capacităților locale de reciclare

Chimcomplex continuă extinderea proiectelor legate de economie circulară
• Compania urmărește reducerea dependenței de materiile prime convenționale
• Reciclarea chimică și materiile prime circulare devin teme strategice pentru industria chimică europeană
• Presiunea legislativă europeană accelerează transformarea industriei petrochimice și a materialelor plastice

Automotive & Plastics Industry Trend 2026

The automotive industry is expanding the use of closed-loop recycling systems for plastics
• Production scrap and materials recovered from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) are being reintroduced into new automotive components
• Automakers are targeting lower carbon footprints and higher circularity levels
• Plastics remain essential for vehicle lightweighting and efficiency
• Demand for high-quality recycling and material traceability continues to grow across the automotive sector

Trend auto & industrie 2026 (OEM, Tier‑1/Tier‑2, plastice și legislație)

The European Union is easing proposed recycled content requirements for plastics used in automotive applications
• The new proposed overall target is 20% recycled content
• Out of this, 15% should come from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) recycling streams
• Main reason: Europe’s recycling and supply infrastructure is not yet sufficiently developed
• Industry stakeholders warn about shortages in sorting and high-quality recycling capacities for automotive plastics

The European Union is introducing strict new rules under the Waste Shipments Regulation, including a ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries starting November 2026. The move is expected to significantly reshape recycling flows and increase pressure on Europe’s internal processing capacity.

Italy has requested a temporary suspension of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), arguing that price volatility is increasingly affecting industrial competitiveness. The move comes at a critical moment, ahead of a major revision of the mechanism at EU level.

România înregistrează o creștere semnificativă a importurilor de deșeuri plastice, în special din state vest-europene. Volumele mai mari și prețurile competitive afectează direct reciclarea internă, unde operatorii locali se confruntă deja cu costuri ridicate și cerere instabilă.

China is increasing its exports of recycled plastics, particularly rPET and rPP, with estimated growth of 15–25% in recent years. This trend is creating direct competitive pressure on European recyclers and traders.

Câștigătorii Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2025 au fost anunțați la Amsterdam, evidențiind proiecte concrete de integrare a plasticului reciclat în automotive, construcții și bunuri de larg consum. Tendința dominantă: utilizarea tot mai avansată a materialelor PCR în aplicații industriale cu cerințe tehnice ridicate.

From March 31, 2026, England implements simplified nationwide recycling rules, while from April 1, the plastic packaging tax rises to £228.82/tonne for materials containing less than 30% recycled content.

Un nou document de ghidaj publicat astăzi clarifică una dintre cele mai importante prevederi ale viitorului regulament european privind ambalajele (PPWR): începând cu 12 august 2026, toate ambalajele introduse pe piața UE trebuie să fie reciclabile. Clarificările vin într-un moment critic pentru industrie, în care producătorii, convertorii și reciclatori trebuie să-și ajusteze rapid strategiile tehnologice și comerciale.

• Oil rises to 110–115 USD/barrel → feedstock +50–60%
• Dow doubles PE increase to +30 cents/lb (~660 USD/ton)
• LyondellBasell, INEOS, Borealis declare force majeure
• SABIC introduces energy surcharges on engineering plastics
• ABS, PMMA, PET and PP see rapid global price increases

• Petrolul urcă la 110–115 USD/baril → feedstock +50–60%
• Dow dublează creșterea PE la +30 cenți/lb (~660 USD/t)
• LyondellBasell, INEOS, Borealis declară force majeure
• SABIC introduce surcharge pe materiale tehnice
• ABS, PMMA, PET și PP în creșteri accelerate

The International Automotive Recycling Congress (IARC) 2026, starting on March 25 in Hamburg, highlights the growing importance of recycling in the European automotive industry. Bringing together up to 300 industry decision-makers, the event marks a critical step toward circularity, with an increasing focus on plastic materials.

The sharp increase in virgin polymer prices in March 2026 is now directly impacting the recycled materials market. Recyclates are becoming more expensive, while strengthening their strategic role in the supply chain, driven by regulatory pressure and rising production costs.

Rezultatele prezentate la Resource Recovery Summit 2026 confirmă o evoluție accelerată a sistemului SGR din România, care ajunge la 83% rată de colectare în 2025 și peste 8,5 miliarde de ambalaje returnate. Performanța poziționează România printre piețele relevante din Europa în zona de colectare a ambalajelor.

• The European packaging and recycling industry is calling for recycled material to originate from Europe
• The measure is linked to upcoming mandatory recycled content targets
• The objective is to protect EU recycling capacities

• Filmele flexibile din plastic (PE, PP) reprezintă una dintre cele mai mari provocări ale reciclării ambalajelor în Europa.
• Noul regulament european PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) va accelera investițiile în reciclarea acestor materiale.
• Raportul AMI Plastics arată că piața reciclării filmelor flexibile va crește semnificativ în următorii ani.
• Proiecte industriale noi sunt așteptate în Europa până în 2030 pentru a crește capacitatea de reciclare.

• petrolul depășește pragul de 100 $/baril
• costurile feedstock-urilor petrochimice cresc
• tensiunile geopolitice afectează lanțurile logistice
• presiune în creștere asupra prețurilor polimerilor virgini
• materialele reciclate devin tot mai competitive

Sistemul DRS depășește pragul de 1 miliard de ambalaje colectate

Automotive recycling industry gathers at IARC 2026

Oil volatility begins to reshape polymer market dynamics

Conflictul din Orientul Mijlociu ridică petrolul și începe să influențeze piața polimerilor

Summit european dedicat economiei circulare

European circular economy summit announced in Romania

Deposit return system becomes mandatory in Hungary

Italy delays Plastic Tax

German chemical group BASF is accelerating the development of its ChemCycling program, integrating feedstock derived from chemical recycling into polymer production.

Key trends shaping the European plastic industry this week

The European plastics recycling industry is facing increasing economic pressure. Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) warns that several recycling plants across the EU may be forced to reduce operations or even shut down due to rising costs and global market competition.

Plant closures and financial pressure hit North American recycling sector amid falling PET bale prices

Fushun Ejet Magnetic Equipment Co., Ltd. has launched a new eddy current separator designed to remove fine aluminum particles from PET flakes. The solution aims to improve rPET purity and reduce processing losses in recycling operations.

European Commission has published an implementing act clarifying the methodology for calculating and reporting recycled content in packaging. The document establishes detailed technical criteria for compliance verification and directly impacts producers, converters, and recyclers across the EU.

The Plastics Recycling Conference 2026, scheduled for February 23–25 in San Diego (USA), brings into focus key industry themes including mandatory recycled content (PCR), chemical recycling, the expansion of EPR systems, and solutions for hard-to-recycle plastic streams.

A recent market report indicates sustained growth in global demand for rHDPE (post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene), driven by mandatory recycled content requirements and increasing pressure for circular packaging solutions.

EU Member States have supported the inclusion of chemical recycling within the regulatory framework defining minimum recycled content in plastic packaging. The move could accelerate investment in advanced recycling technologies and directly impact the PCR materials market.

United Nations has introduced the first comprehensive global trade database covering plastics and related products. The system maps approximately USD 390 billion in annual trade flows and more than 100 million tonnes of plastic materials exchanged worldwide. The tool is expected to significantly influence negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty.

The latest edition of “Plastics – The Fast Facts 2025”, published by PlasticsEurope, confirms a major structural shift in the global plastics industry: Asia now accounts for more than half of global production, while Europe’s share continues to decline.

Săptămâna aceasta aduce semnale strategice importante la nivel global: proiecte petrochimice contestate, investiții EV suspendate, separări de business în packaging, avertismente privind reglementările în reciclare și noi parteneriate pentru reciclarea vehiculelor scoase din uz.

Italian authorities have published updated guidance on End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria for recycled plastics, bringing more clarity on when a material ceases to be waste and becomes a secondary raw material.

Plastics • Recycling • Materials • Industry

MOL Group has completed an ISCC PLUS–certified industrial test, integrating circular feedstock derived from post-consumer plastic waste into a steam cracker at its Tiszaújváros site, enabling the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) using a mass balance approach.

Italy is entering a dangerous zone: waste is available and collection works, but recycling is starting to stall due to weak demand and poor economic viability.

Plastic recyclers in Italy have temporarily stopped collecting bales from sorting facilities, citing market stress, quality issues, and the lack of clear regulatory signals on recycled content targets.

Plastic recyclers in Italy have temporarily stopped collecting bales from sorting facilities, citing market stress, quality issues, and the lack of clear regulatory signals on recycled content targets.

A recent investigation suggests that many plastic packages marketed in Europe as “recycled” or “sustainable” actually contain only limited amounts of recycled material. Communication practices and the use of mass-balance mechanisms raise serious questions about transparency and the accuracy of information provided to consumers

The European Commission plans to introduce stricter measures in early 2026 regarding imports of recycled plastics. The initiative aims to clearly distinguish between recycled and virgin materials and could have a direct impact on the European recycled polymers market.

growing number of plastic packaging claims on European supermarket shelves are considered misleading by experts.
Specialists warn about the confusion between recyclable plastics, recycled plastics and so-called chemical recycling.
The lack of clear standards and independent verification increases the risk of greenwashing.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and Envetec Sustainable Solutions have presented a closed-loop recycling model for plastics generated in laboratories and healthcare facilities.
The solution focuses on controlled collection, decontamination and recycling, aiming to reduce incineration of technically recyclable materials.
The case shows that circular economy solutions can work even in sectors with strict safety and traceability requirements.

The European Commission is launching a set of pilot measures targeting demand, supply and the regulatory framework of plastics recycling, as a preparatory step ahead of the Circular Economy Act scheduled for 2026.

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.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, OMV’s CEO warned that excessively rigid plastic recycling regulations risk slowing down innovation and industrial investment if they are not supported by proper infrastructure and economic incentives.

The European Commission has launched a package aimed at harmonising “end-of-waste” (EoW) criteria for recycled plastics across the EU. The draft is open for public consultation until 26 January 2026, while adoption of the criteria is expected later in 2026.

With an estimated 94% collection rate for beverage packaging, Romania has rapidly reached performance levels comparable to long-established Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) in several EU member states. The key difference is not efficiency, but system maturity and downstream recycling capacity.

România se află din nou sub presiunea Comisiei Europene din cauza întârzierilor semnificative în atingerea țintelor de reciclare a ambalajelor. Deficiențele structurale din sistemul de colectare, lipsa capacităților de reciclare și implementarea neuniformă a responsabilității extinse a producătorului (EPR) riscă să atragă sancțiuni financiare consistente.

Equipment manufacturers are accelerating the development of optical sorting systems designed specifically for contaminated plastic films—one of the most challenging fractions in waste streams. The new solutions promise higher yields and more consistent recyclable output.

The European recycled polypropylene (rPP) market enters 2026 in a difficult environment, characterized by weak Q1 demand, downward price pressure, and intensified competition from virgin material. Value-chain players are adopting cautious strategies and becoming more selective regarding end-use applications.

The European Commission has reaffirmed its priorities for plastics circularity in 2026, focusing on recycled content, market stabilisation and a closer alignment between environmental objectives and industrial competitiveness.

Europe’s plastics industry is facing a rapid loss of global competitiveness, driven by high costs, regulatory pressure and increasingly aggressive global markets.

The European plastics industry is calling for clear, harmonised and predictable rules on mandatory recycled content, warning that the lack of a coherent framework could slow investments and destabilise the market.

Despite having an advanced collection and sorting system, Germany is struggling to meet the European Union’s targets for plastic packaging recycling, highlighting structural limitations of the current European model.

Australia’s plastics recycling sector is facing a severe structural crisis, as cheap imports of virgin plastic undermine the competitiveness of recycled materials. Industry representatives warn that without urgent policy intervention, recycling infrastructure risks large-scale closures.

The European Commission has announced its legislative priorities for 2026 regarding the circular economy of plastics. The focus is on strengthening the market for recycled plastics, reducing dependence on virgin plastic, and harmonising rules across EU Member States.

Researchers at Yale University have developed an electrified pyrolysis process capable of converting mixed plastic waste into aviation fuel, achieving yields of up to 70–80%, with potential applications in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Colgate-Palmolive has introduced 100% recyclable toothpaste tubes, manufactured entirely from HDPE, aiming to simplify recycling streams and significantly reduce packaging waste. The initiative is first rolled out in Brazil, with potential global scaling.

The European Union is moving decisively into the implementation phase of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a legislative framework set to fundamentally reshape the design, use, and recycling of plastic packaging starting in 2026.

The report “Plastics the Fast Facts 2025”, published by PlasticsEurope in October 2025, shows that the European plastics industry continues to face significant structural pressure, despite a modest stabilisation in production following the sharp downturn in 2023.

The European Union is preparing to introduce stricter controls on imported plastics in 2026 to help its struggling recycling industry, amid record recycling capacity losses and competitive pressures from low-cost imports of virgin plastics.

The European Commission has introduced a package of pilot actions designed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the EU’s plastics sector, with specific measures to support recycling industries — including chemical recycling — and address competitive pressures. 
European Commission

The European Commission has introduced a package of pilot actions designed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the EU’s plastics sector, with specific measures to support recycling industries — including chemical recycling — and address competitive pressures. 
European Commission

UN negotiations on a global plastics treaty ended 2025 without an agreement, as deep divisions persist over plastic production limits and chemical regulation. The absence of a binding global framework is pushing governments and companies toward regional regulations and voluntary industry initiatives.

Italian packaging consortia report increasing difficulties in absorbing recycled materials, amid weak demand and rising stock levels.

European recycling associations warn of severe economic pressure on the plastics recycling sector and call for urgent measures to support demand and protect existing capacities.

In Q4 2025, the price gap between recycled plastics (rPCR) and virgin polymers remains unfavorable for recycling, driven by weak demand and the strong competitiveness of virgin material.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on new rules covering vehicle circularity and the management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). The framework includes requirements aimed at increasing the use of recycled materials, including recycled plastics, in the automotive sector.

The global recycled thermoplastics market is projected to grow rapidly over the next decade, from around USD 63 billion in 2025 to more than USD 145 billion by 2034. Growth is driven by demand from packaging, automotive and construction, alongside tightening sustainability regulations.