Plastics Europe published its biennial report: ‘The Circular Economy for Plastics: A European Analysis’. It provides the latest (2024) data and insights into Europe’s1 circular plastics transition, including trends in circular plastics production2, conversion, consumption, and trade, as well as data on waste management.
The report’s key finding is that the pace of Europe’s transition has slowed dramatically amid increased global competition. Europe’s annual growth3 in circular production has declined sharply from 13.6% in 2022 to only 1.2% in 2024, resulting in 8.7 Mt in circular output (or 15.8% of total production). By contrast, annual growth in global circular plastics production has accelerated from 5% to 7.7%.
Completing the picture, European converter demand for circular plastics is also losing momentum, falling from 16.2% annual growth in 2022 to 4% in 2024.
New data on trade also highlights the significant dependence of Europe’s plastics transition on external value chains: 19% of converter demand for circular plastics was met through imports, and 12.4% of Europe’s collected waste is recycled in other regions. Europe’s dependence on imports is even greater for fossil-based plastics, with 25% of converter demand being met from abroad.
Rob Ingram, President of Plastics Europe and CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe, said: “It is deeply concerning that, just when Europe should be accelerating the transition to a circular economy, we see a dramatic slowdown. As a result of high energy and feedstock prices, emissions costs and a lack of fair trade, Europe’s plastics manufacturers are in survival mode. Our value chain cannot make the necessary investments in circularity; instead, we are witnessing Europe’s decarbonisation through deindustrialisation. Unless this highly damaging trend is reversed, Europe will not be able to meet its climate ambitions.”
Europe still maintains the largest share of circular plastics (15.8%) in relation to its total production mix. However, its ongoing leadership has been driven primarily by a sharp decline in fossil-based plastics production, which fell by 8.3% to 43.3 Mt between 2022 and 2024.
Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of Plastics Europe, said: “If we continue to export valuable sorted waste and import recycled materials, we undermine both our industrial base and our climate ambitions. We must create the business case for circular plastics in Europe, by making it economically attractive to keep and recycle our plastic waste. Supportive and fit-for-purpose legislation is a key enabler to this.
“The Gulf crisis has reinforced how exposed Europe is to fossil-resource shocks, and that a strong European circular plastics economy is not a nice-to-have; it’s non-negotiable. Plastic waste is a valuable commodity which gives Europe the opportunity to be a resource-rich continent. It’s time to reclaim ownership of our circular economy, starting with keeping and using strategic resources in Europe.”
