Position paper IFPEN sur Recyclage des plastiques : propositions de contributions au Circular Economy Act

In a context shaped by the strengthening of public policies in support of the circular economy, the tightening of European regulatory requirements, and growing societal expectations regarding the reduction of plastic waste, IFPEN has published two position papers.
 

  Download the position paper PDF - 650 ko)

Objective: to share IFPEN’s vision and strategic orientations on advanced plastics recycling, as a complement to mechanical recycling and upstream plastic reduction.

IFPEN aims to be active across the full spectrum of advanced recycling loops by developing sustainable technological solutions capable of converting plastic waste into high-quality recycled polymer materials.

Building on pooled expertise within industrial and academic partnerships, the research institute designs and develops advanced recycling technologies that are proven, economically viable, and embedded in a continuous improvement approach to optimise yields and minimise environmental impacts.

This strategy is structured around a dual ambition:

• To complement mechanical recycling by enabling the treatment of nearly all types of plastics, including complex streams or those that are currently poorly valorised.
• To deliver operational solutions for industry, supporting stakeholders in meeting societal expectations and regulatory frameworks related to plastic waste reduction and the effective deployment of the circular economy.
   

Key takeaways

Rising demand for plastics remains a major challenge for Europe, both in environmental terms and with regard to security of resource supply. The implementation of an effective circular economy continues to rely on the three fundamental levers—reduce, reuse and recycle—with recycling playing a key role in limiting the use of fossil resources and valorising complex plastic waste.

Mechanical recycling remains the most virtuous pathway when closed-loop systems are technically feasible and should be prioritised whenever it preserves material properties. However, it faces structural limitations due to the diversity of waste streams, the presence of additives, and increasingly stringent quality requirements.

Advanced recycling, as a complement to mechanical recycling, is therefore an essential lever for treating plastic waste that is difficult or impossible to recycle mechanically. By enabling the removal of additives and impurities and reverting to purified polymers, it opens the way to higher value-added applications and true closed-loop circularity at the polymer level.

The large-scale deployment of these technologies nevertheless requires substantial industrial investment, and recycled feedstocks are structurally more expensive than fossil-based virgin materials. Their development can therefore only take place within a clear, coherent and stable European regulatory framework capable of securing industrial projects.

In this context, several structuring levers must be activated:

• Reinforce incentives for the use of recycled materials by extending incorporation requirements beyond packaging (automotive, construction, textiles), setting clear and progressive timetables, and ensuring eAective controls in conjunction with dissuasive penalties.
• Define and harmonize end-of-waste status (EWS) at the European level, positioning it at the stage of material prepared for recycling, whether mechanical or advanced, in order to streamline flows and facilitate cross-border transfers.
• Promote circularity at the polymer level, rather than specifically at the level of objects or consumption channels, in order to scale up flows, reduce costs, and preserve the economic balance of each value chain.
• Adapt the organization of extended producer responsibility (EPR) sectors, distinguishing more clearly between collection and sorting challenges (related to usages) and recycling and material recovery challenges (related to polymers), and promoting a more cross-cutting approach at the European level.
• Establish a robust accounting system for recycled material (mass balance) that is consistent with European regulations (SUPD2, PPWR3), promoting plastic-to-plastic recycling, and avoiding distortion eAects between sectors.
• Strictly regulate the term “recycled material” and imports through certification, traceability, and control systems that guarantee quality equivalent to European standards.

Finally, the development of plastics recycling must be embedded in a territorial approach to the circular economy, prioritising the valorisation within Europe of available waste streams and supporting innovation in tools for the characterisation and control of recycled materials.