Page 62 - Plastics News Issue May 2025
P. 62
PRODUCT NEWS
ricultural sectors, developments will improve In the agricultural sector, they will be applied in
product quality and extend shelf life. The results mulch films to maintain crop quality based on
can be exploited in the packaging sector, and the barrier and antimicrobial properties of the
applied to those where barrier properties are re- coating
quired, such as the food and cosmetics sectors.
Source – RECYCLING magazine.
Countering Chinese influence
with recycled plastic
At present, producers themselves decide on re-
cycled material content in bottles as it has a di-
rect impact on the competitiveness of the end
product on the market. Recycled materials are
currently more expensive than primary raw ma-
terials (primary raw material prices are closely
linked to fluctuations in the cost of oil which in
turn is affected by global political processes,
and last year the price of oil decreased signifi-
cantly in the USA). Hence, two different bottles
may contain an equally good beverage, but the
bottle with less recycled content will be less ex-
ecycling of plastics plays a major role in pensive. The beverage industry is highly com-
the achievement of the European Union petitive, economic conditions are major deter-
R(EU) Green Deal objective, and Member minants of demand, and every euro cent could
States have to cope with increasingly stricter play a decisive role. The pragmatic view of this
regulatory framework. In order to promote the matter and reluctance to move towards higher
use of recycled materials and sustainability of recycled material contents on behalf of produc-
plastic bottle production, pursuant to the legisla- ers can be therefore understood: if the price dif-
tion, PET bottles must currently contain at least ference is significant, beverage producers have
25% recycled plastic and at least 30% of recy- strong economic motivation to put sustainability
cled material must be incorporated in all plastic objectives aside in order to secure their compet-
beverage bottles by 2030. itive position.
In EU practice, this is the first common framework Moreover, in many countries there is a lack of
for the use of recycled materials in the produc- clearly defined scope of penalties and monitor-
tion of packaging that will demonstrate whether ing mechanisms. Member States (i.e. business-
such an initiative can work in Europe and how es) are required to report on the recycled plas-
effectively. However, it is, as yet, unclear how to tic content in beverage bottles, but monitoring
verify regulatory compliance and impose penal- of the process and determining the degree of
ties for non-compliance. responsibility are left to the discretion of each
62 PLASTICS NEWS May 2025
