Focus on… recyclability

Moves to strengthen recyclate market and improve recyclability:

Germany: plastics industry warns of imminent recyclate gap
UK: governments outline plans for recyclability

Germany: plastics industry warns of imminent recyclate gap

A new study by Conversio, commissioned by the German plastics industry (BKV), warns that by 2030, demand for recycled plastics in Germany will exceed supply by around 30%.

Despite the progress made – particularly in packaging recycling, where the Yellow Bag system reached a rate of nearly 69% in 2023 – the sector faces a serious shortfall in the availability of high-quality recyclates.

This poses a challenge to meeting rising legal quotas, especially for demanding applications such as food packaging and automotive components.

Industry representatives have pointed to a lack of investment in infrastructure and limited policy scope as contributing factors.

With only around 3.2 million of the 5.6 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in Germany currently being collected for recycling, much of the untapped potential lies in commercial and residual waste streams.

The associations have called on the new European Commission and national governments to strengthen the recyclate market by expanding collection systems, approving additional recycling processes, and ensuring consistent quality standards across imports.

Landbell Group has reinforced its commitment to improving plastics circularity through two key initiatives.

Since late 2024, it has partnered with RecyClass to offer its customers free access to the RecyClass Online Tool for assessing the recyclability of plastic packaging. This tool helps producers align with upcoming recyclability requirements under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

The Group has also partnered with PureCycle to improve polypropylene recycling in Europe (see article here).

UK: governments outline plans for recyclability

On 27 February 2025, the UK’s four governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland released a joint policy statement outlining key priorities for the first year of the packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme.

A central focus is the requirement for the Scheme Administrator to publish a strategy document and policy on modulated fees by June 2025.

These modulated fees, to be introduced in 2026, will be based on the recyclability of packaging materials, with the aim of encouraging producers to shift toward more circular, resource-efficient packaging design.

The policy will be underpinned by a standardised recyclability assessment methodology, which producers must use to evaluate the recyclability of household packaging (see Compass article here).

Final base fees for 2025/26 are also expected by June, subject to timely and accurate data reporting.

To support compliance, ERP UK provides a Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) service for large producers, available either as a self-managed solution (LAMB Data Service) or as a fully managed service.

For small producers, ERP UK offers tailored support through its Small Producer Essential and Essential Plus services. These combine regulatory guidance, data checking, and optional outsourced data collection to help businesses meet their obligations efficiently.

Small and large producers were required to submit 2024 packaging data by 1 April 2025 through the digital government platform.

Attention now turns to preparation for upcoming reporting cycles and the publication of key PackUK governance documents in mid-2025.