Newsroom archive
Recyclers agonize as the EU plastic waste export ban takes effect
At the start of 2021, new EU restrictions on plastic waste exports took effect, and the industry felt the squeeze immediately.
For years, exporting was the pressure valve of Western recycling systems: what could not be processed at home was shipped abroad. The rules that took effect as 2021 began closed much of that valve for unsorted plastic waste leaving the European Union, and recyclers scrambled to adapt.
The longer arc proved more constructive. Material forced to stay closer to home became feedstock for the recycled-content economy the EU was about to legislate into existence.
Where that arc leads today: our analysis of the EU recycled-content targets for PET.
From the GHD Americas newsroom archive. Originally shared on January 11, 2021.
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