In the beginning of April our team joined a vast array of professionals at the world’s largest event dedicated to plastics recycling – Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) 2025 in Amsterdam – to discuss the current trends and developments in the sector, showcase innovative technology and share best practices. We walked away from this year’s event with three key takeaways — not just challenges to tackle, but also opportunities to reshape the future of recycling.
The state of the recycling industry was powerfully captured by Ton Emans, Director of Group Recycling at Plastic Recyclers Europe, in his keynote speech: “Put it in the bin and cross your fingers”. From the influx of low-cost virgin and imported plastics, to high operational costs, unregulated imports, and policy gaps, recyclers across Europe face considerable challenges when trying to meet the PPWR targets.
The experts outlined a roadmap for action — starting with immediate relief and continuing towards long-term structural reform.
In the short term, recyclers called for stricter controls on plastic imports, temporary financial support for recyclers, and incentives to boost the use of recycled materials. These measures aim to stabilize the industry and level the playing field between recyclates and virgin plastics. In the long term, the focus must shift to systemic change: implementing mandatory minimum recycled content by product category, investing in EU-wide sorting and recycling infrastructure, and accelerating design-for-recycling practices across the value chain.
Finally, the speaker emphasized the need to prioritize regional recycling — championing a “Made in EU” circular economy rather than relying on imports with inconsistent standards.
Traceability is not just a buzzword — it is becoming a cornerstone of plastics circularity. As EU regulations tighten, the ability to verify the origin, quality, and safety of recycled materials is now a critical requirement, especially for food-grade applications.
Initiatives like RecyClass, a cross-industry effort, are playing a key role in advancing the shift toward a circular plastics economy. Their certification systems are helping to align industry practices with EU regulations — especially for food-contact materials. Under these standards, plastic waste must be traceable and quality-controlled throughout collection and pre-processing, ideally supported by proper digital solutions. Trial audits are already underway in partnership with experienced certification bodies, with finalization expected by May 2025.
Despite the complexity and regulatory hurdles, Certification Manager at Plastics Recyclers Europe Mireia Boada stressed that opportunities are to be found as well: boosting the competitiveness of EU waste, enabling transparent claims based on EN 15343, and eventually increasing trust in recycled food-grade plastics.
Ambitious EU targets under PPWR and SUPD are approaching fast: 25% PCR in PET beverage bottles by 2025, 30% by 2030. Another possible way to reach the targets is to invest in developing new technologies. During PET Recycling Focus Session representatives of companies like ALPLA and Cirrec shared their latest approach:
Final thoughts: We can no longer “Put It in the Bin and Cross Our Fingers”
Amid market pressures, shifting production geographies, and 2030 PPWR targets, the road to a circular plastics economy might seem bumpy; and while achieving these targets is not an easy undertaking, experts agreed: if handled properly, there is still a real opportunity to build a stronger and more sustainable industry — one based on local materials, circular systems, and technical innovation.
