FOCUSING ON LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGIES WITH UNCLEAR IMPACT
Chemical recycling
Chemical recycling should stop diverting us from real solutions to the current plastic crisis – toxic-free, long-lasting, simplied plastics, that are developed to be recyclable at the end-of-life of products – and not act as another techno-solutions-style answer to the plastic crisis.” – Lauriane Veillard, Chemical Recycling and Plastic-to-Fuels Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe
For a few years now, Zero Waste Europe has been focusing on the subject of chemical recycling, demystifying claims and underlying the need for more research to understand these processes’ environmental and human health impacts.
Zero Waste Europe has been engaging with various stakeholders to bring a strong voice to warn against unnecessary distractions from a circular economy and zero-waste approach to waste management. We advocate for a change during primary production to design new products for proper end-of-life treatment.
Our cross-regional work on chemical recycling
Zero Waste Europe has been working together since the beginning with the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA) and other like-minded organisations to showcase the dangers of the development of other false solutions related to chemical recycling, with the process of transforming plastic into fuels. Indeed, plastic-to-fuel practices are not recognised as “recycling” in European legislation but are considered as such in other parts of the world. This means that other global regions still struggle with the impact of this false solution.
The following video (produced by GAIA, Zero Waste Europe, and Changing Markets Foundation) summarises some of the main adverse effects that the industry is currently downplaying, both regarding fuel production and Plastics-to-Plastics processes.
