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EU Plans Decisive War on Plastic
in 2025, EU Services Tasked with Studying Extreme Measures to Eliminate Plastic Pollution
The EU is preparing to take unprecedented action against plastic pollution. A new European Commission report exposes the sector’s huge environmental footprint and highlights bold strategies under consideration — from changing raw materials to radically overhauling waste systems. Officials are even weighing measures that could reshape entire industries. With global plastic use set to soar in coming decades, Brussels is signalling it’s ready to act decisively. What’s on the table — and how far will the EU go?
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Brussels, 6 October 2025 – The European plastics sector, responsible for millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and vast amounts of waste, could chart a course toward sustainability — but only if urgent systemic changes take place. That’s the stark message from a new Joint Research Centre (JRC) report published today.
In 2022, EU citizens consumed 62.8 million tonnes of plastic — about 140 kg per person — with domestic production covering 92% of demand. The environmental cost is steep: 252 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, mostly during manufacturing. “If the plastics industry were a country,” notes the JRC, “it would rank as the EU’s fifth-largest emitter.”
Waste remains the Achilles’ heel of the system. Of the 42.5 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in 2022, 80% was incinerated or landfilled. Only 20% made it into recycling streams. Packaging accounts for nearly half of that waste and fares better, with a recycling rate around 35%, but textiles lag far behind — a mere 1.5% recycled.
Beyond waste, leakage into the environment is a persistent problem: 3.7 million tonnes of plastic escaped in 2022 alone, from packaging litter to microfibers shed in laundry cycles.
JRC identifies three key levers for change:
The report’s timing is no accident: global plastic consumption is forecast to double by 2060, and without intervention, emissions and pollution will follow suit. The EU has the tools to act — the question is whether industry and policymakers will seize them.
In 2022, EU citizens consumed 62.8 million tonnes of plastic — about 140 kg per person — with domestic production covering 92% of demand. The environmental cost is steep: 252 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, mostly during manufacturing. “If the plastics industry were a country,” notes the JRC, “it would rank as the EU’s fifth-largest emitter.”
Waste remains the Achilles’ heel of the system. Of the 42.5 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in 2022, 80% was incinerated or landfilled. Only 20% made it into recycling streams. Packaging accounts for nearly half of that waste and fares better, with a recycling rate around 35%, but textiles lag far behind — a mere 1.5% recycled.
Beyond waste, leakage into the environment is a persistent problem: 3.7 million tonnes of plastic escaped in 2022 alone, from packaging litter to microfibers shed in laundry cycles.
JRC identifies three key levers for change:
- Shift feedstocks from virgin fossil-based to recycled or bio-based materials.
- Expand and optimise recycling capacity, addressing infrastructure and sorting bottlenecks.
- Stop leakage at source through product redesign, improved waste capture, and stricter controls on microplastic sources like tyres and textiles.
The report’s timing is no accident: global plastic consumption is forecast to double by 2060, and without intervention, emissions and pollution will follow suit. The EU has the tools to act — the question is whether industry and policymakers will seize them.
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Three key EU legislative measures in the plastics sector
Here are the three key EU legislative measures currently on the table in the plastics sector:
- Revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
This updated regulation builds on the 2015 Directive (94/62/EC) and introduces binding rules requiring all packaging to be recyclable, increasing recycled content, and reducing unnecessary packaging. It also mandates reusable and refill systems and sets labeling standards for consumer sorting. - Reinforced Target for Recycled Content in PET Bottles under the Single‑Use Plastics Directive
Under the SUP Directive, PET beverage bottles must contain at least 25% recycled plastic by 2025, increasing to 30% by 2030, supporting the circularity of packaging. - REACH Restriction on (Intentional) Microplastics and Legislative Measures to Prevent Microplastic Release
The EU has adopted REACH-based restrictions on intentionally added microplastics (effective October 2023) and is evaluating potential regulations to reduce unintentional releases—like from tyres and textiles—and improve wastewater monitoring.
The EU is moving fast on bold measures to reshape the plastics sector — don’t be the last to know.
© Copyright eEuropa Belgium 2020-2025
Sources: ©European Union, 1995-2025, ©EEA, Eurostat
Sources: ©European Union, 1995-2025, ©EEA, Eurostat
