Plastics Europe DE

Visit Plastics Europe at IFAT 2026 | Booth A6.233

Plastics Europe Is Enabling a Sustainable Future with Plastics

We are increasing our efforts to reduce plastic waste, promote the reuse collection, and recycling of plastic waste, and have accelerated the transition to a circular economy in response. We are striving to achieve “zero plastics to landfill” and 100% recovery of plastic waste.

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The European plastic producers aim to be climate-neutral by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal. This includes using less fossil resources, like crude oil, and natural gas, and shifting to alternative feedstocks, such as bio-based resources, recycled materials, and CO2:

The Contribution of the Plastic Producers

The European plastic producers aim to be climate-neutral by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal. This includes using less fossil resources, like crude oil, and natural gas, and shifting to alternative feedstocks, such as bio-based resources, recycled materials, and CO2:

  • Carbon neutral production
  • Non-fossil feedstocks
  • Complementary of mechanical and chemical recycling solutions
To meet the European climate and circular economy targets, products and their packaging must be designed to use less material and become optimized for reuse or recycling. The implementation of "design for recycling” principles involves the use of various strategies to conserve resources

The Contribution of the Plastic Converters

To meet the European climate and circular economy targets, products and their packaging must be designed to use less material and become optimized for reuse or recycling. The implementation of „design for recycling” principles involves the use of various strategies to conserve resources:

  • Circular design
  • Reduce, reuse, repair, and refill
  • Recycling
Closing the loop on plastic waste demands comprehensive collection, sorting, and processing. This calls for investments in new technologies and further development of the waste infrastructure

The Contribution of the Waste Management Industry

Closing the loop on plastic waste demands comprehensive collection, sorting, and processing. This calls for investments in new technologies and further development of the waste infrastructure:

  • Collecting and sorting
  • Tracing technologies
  • Complementary of mechanical and chemical recycling solutions

Enabling Circular Products

The goal is to produce primarily from non-fossil and circular materials, utilize them responsibly, and ensure they’re collected, processed, and recycled at the end of their lifespan.

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Crafting products from mono-material is among the simplest methods to improve recyclability. It helps to sort plastic waste by material type, shredding it, and then mechanically recycling and processing it into new products with minimal energy consumption.

Mono-Material

Crafting products from mono-material is among the simplest methods to improve recyclability. It helps to sort plastic waste by material type, shredding it, and then mechanically recycling and processing it into new products with minimal energy consumption. Examples:

  • Stand-up pouches
  • Toothbrushes 
  • Food storage containers
It’s possible to produce plastics without fossil feedstocks. It can also be made from biomass, obtained from algae, sugar cane, or organic waste. Replacing fossil feedstock with bio-based feedstock is an effective approach to reducing carbon emissions in plastic.

Bio-based Materials and bio-based feedstock

It’s possible to produce plastics without fossil feedstocks. It can also be made from biomass, obtained from algae, sugar cane, or organic waste. Replacing fossil feedstock with bio-based feedstock is an effective approach to reducing carbon emissions in plastic. Examples:

  • Soothers made of renewable resources
  • Medical products made from old frying fat
  • Food packaging made from industrial cornstarch
Chemical recycling offers the possibility of recycling heavily mixed or soiled plastic waste and converting it into new raw materials. These recycled raw materials make it possible to replace fossil feedstocks in the manufacturing process of new plastic products while maintaining the same quality.

Chemically Recycled Materials

Chemical recycling offers the possibility of recycling heavily mixed or soiled plastic waste and converting it into new raw materials. These recycled raw materials make it possible to replace fossil feedstocks in the manufacturing process of new plastic products while maintaining the same quality. Examples:

  • Food contact packaging, attributed raw material coming from mixed plastic waste
  • Bicycle tube Attributed raw material coming from old rubber tires
  • Foils: Attributed raw material coming from post-consumer waste
Carbon Capture and Utilization make it possible to use CO2 Emissions as a feedstock and utilize it to create new chemical compounds. This way, we can transform emissions from pollutants into products.

Materials from Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU)

Carbon Capture and Utilization make it possible to use CO2 Emissions as a feedstock and utilize it to create new chemical compounds. This way, we can transform emissions from pollutants into products. Examples:

  • Running shoes
  • Furniture
  • Concrete

How Would you Recycle these waste streams?

Learn more about the complementarity of mechanical and chemical recycling solutions to ensure no opportunity for circularity is left untapped.

How would you recycle these waste streams?

Unlock the full potential of your waste streams
with Chemical Recycling

Learn more about common use cases.

Enzymolysis is a technology that utilizes biochemical processes and a variety of biocatalysts to break down polymers into their fundamental building blocks.

Enzymolosis

Enzymolysis is a technology that utilizes biochemical processes and a variety of biocatalysts to break down polymers into their fundamental building blocks. Common use case:

  • Processing hard-to-recycle PET
  • Recycling PA and PET from textiles
Depolymerization is a chemical process in which polymers are broken down into their basic components. In this process, the plastic waste is broken down into smaller molecules, such as its original monomers. These monomers can then be purified, reassembled, and used to produce new plastics. To be successful, the technology requires relatively homogeneous and purified waste streams.  Unfortunately, suitable EPR systems to access waste streams are not yet widely available.

Depolymerization

Depolymerization is a chemical process in which polymers are broken down into their basic components. In this process, the plastic waste is broken down into smaller molecules, such as its original monomers. These monomers can then be purified, reassembled, and used to produce new plastics. To be successful, the technology requires relatively homogeneous and purified waste streams.  Unfortunately, suitable EPR systems to access waste streams are not yet widely available. Common use case:

  • Recovering polyurethanes (e.g. in mattresses) and polyamides containing waste streams
  • Recycling polycarbonate in unrivaled quality
Liquefaction turns wet biomass and other large molecules, like polymers, into crude oil-like material using heat and pressure, often with the help of catalysts to improve results.

Liquefaction

Liquefaction turns wet biomass and other large molecules, like polymers, into crude oil-like material using heat and pressure, often with the help of catalysts to improve results. Common use case:

  • Recycling of soiled plastic waste
  • Recycling medical waste
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical recycling method that converts mixed or soiled plastic wastes into crude-oil-like liquids, solids, and gases in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of heat.

Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical recycling method that converts mixed or soiled plastic wastes into crude-oil-like liquids, solids, and gases in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of heat. Common use-case:

  • Recycling of used tires
  • Recycling of mixed plastic waste not suitable for mechanical recycling.

Reach out at IFAT 2026

Your Contact at IFAT 2026

Bettina Dempewolf
Head of Communication
PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V.

bettina.dempewolf@plasticseurope.de
+49 (171) 9713962

Arcus Greencycling Technologies

Marcel Glas
marcel.glas@arcus-greencycling.com
+49 173 3911764

BASF

Benita von Haugwitz
benita.haugwitz@basf.com
+49 173 3799129

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Plastics Europe – Booth A6.233, IFAT 2026

IFAT 2024 Hallenplan A6.121 Plastics Europe
Plastics Europe A6/2023