Commentary by Anna Kozera-Szałkowska, Managing Director of Plastics Europe Poland
Plastics Europe’s main ambition is to build a fully sustainable plastics system in Europe which continues to meet consumer and societal needs, support the transformation of other sectors and remain a strategic resource for the European economy. This path is far from simple, yet our industry has creativity and innovation deeply embedded in its DNA. For decades these qualities have enabled breakthrough discoveries and pioneering solutions. K, the largest plastics trade fair in Europe, offers an excellent opportunity to recall this progressive spirit and to appreciate once again the transformative nature of the industry and the material itself.
Innovation has been part of the history of plastics from the very beginning. In the relatively short time since plastics came into widespread use, they have revolutionised nearly every area of our lives. Drivers now use safer, lighter cars that consume less fuel. Farmers have increased yields while using less water and fewer pesticides. Secure packaging has improved food safety and extended shelf life. Patients have benefited from medical breakthroughs once unimaginable, like a man blind for more than ten years who regained his sight thanks to the world’s first synthetic cornea implant. These are just a few of a long list of examples of how the hard work of scientists, chemists, engineers, technologists, designers and other experts specialising in narrow fields using plastics has allowed to create innovative inventions without which it is hard for us to imagine everyday life today.
In the 21st century, policymakers, business and society have become fully aware of the global scale of the challenges connected with economic growth. Climate change and plastic waste have become pressing issues that demand urgent solutions. The European plastics industry is already providing such solutions and is determined to do more. Plastics Europe and its member companies share public concerns about the impact of plastics on climate change and environment pollution, and we recognise the need to support the sustainable use of plastics. We believe that developing a circular economy for plastics, which preserves natural resources, reduces waste, keeps valuable materials in circulation through better production, design, reuse and recycling, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions, is the most effective way to address these challenges.
This is why the circular and net-zero transition of the plastics industry has become the main focus of our sector’s creativity and innovation. The vision is set out in our 2023 roadmap, The Plastics Transition. It shows that with the right measures, greenhouse gas emissions from the plastics value chain could be reduced by 28% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. It also foresees the gradual replacement of fossil-based plastics, estimating that circular plastics from mechanical and chemical recycling, biobased feedstocks and carbon capture and utilisation technologies could meet 25% of European demand by 2030 and 65% by 2050. Making this scenario happen will not be possible without fresh ideas, bold thinking and pioneering technologies, which form the foundation of this transition.
Yet circular innovations face major obstacles, with decline of European economy competitiveness on the top. Europe’s share of the global market has been shrinking steadily, and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. The plastics value chain supports around 1.5 million jobs across more than 50,000 companies in the EU. Plastics, used across almost every sector of industry, are essential to the European economy. When we say that Europe needs a strong and competitive plastics industry, we are at the same time speaking about all the strategic sectors that cannot function without plastics. And without competitiveness innovation becomes difficult. Budgets for research, development and technological modernisation are shrinking. When the priority is survival, extra spending is suspended. The weakening competitiveness of Europe’s plastics industry therefore poses a serious threat to the development of circular innovations and to the goals of sustainable transition.
For this reason, although Plastics Europe and its members are strongly committed to the vision of the roadmap, the success of our efforts depends on cooperation across the entire value chain and, above all, on clear political support from the EU and its Member States. Europe needs policy frameworks that truly enable competitiveness. These should include reducing regulatory burdens by simplifying procedures and cutting bureaucracy, especially for permitting low-emission and circular industrial installations. Material neutrality and legal clarity for innovative recycling technologies need to be ensured, as well as level playing field, for example through separate customs codes for imported plastics and increased monitoring and controls at EU borders. Europe must also support investments in circular plastics with economic and financial tools such as tax incentives, and adopt ambitious and binding recycled content targets for plastic packaging before 2030. Finally, we need to modernise and connect the EU’s energy grids and secure access to affordable raw materials to renew and expand Europe’s industrial base. Taking these steps without delay is essential to maintain competitiveness, safeguard strategic autonomy, unlock innovative potential and accelerate the circular transition of the plastics industry.
Every three years in Düsseldorf, K Fairs offer the chance to witness the results of our industry’s creativity and to rediscover its innovative spirit. In addition to practical innovations, visitors will hopefully experience something more – the energy, motivation and ambition of our industry to adapt, respond to global needs and continuously improve.
Anna Kozera-Szałkowska
