June 13, 2024
Presentation by Prof. Dr. Uwe Lahl at the DGAW board meeting, 13 June 2024, Bremen: Sustainable circular economy must improve in two areas:
1. Recycling of plastics from cycles without a ‘closed and controlled chain’ ((EU) 2022/1616) leads to hazardous products. Products with or made from recycled materials must fulfil the same requirements as new products made from virgin plastic. A moratorium on the use of recyclates of unknown origin is therefore advisable for all plastic products that come into close contact with people (packaging, children’s toys, kitchen utensils, clothing, indoor products). Only recyclates from secure cycles should be used.
2. Open loop recycling, in which wood or cement rather than plastics are substituted, does not represent ecologically high-quality recycling. Quotas for open loop recycling therefore contribute nothing to the raw material transition in the plastics industry. This is why closed loop substitution quotas are being advocated, as provided for the first time by the new European Packaging Ordinance.
Prof. Dr. Uwe Lahl explained these proposals in more detail in his presentation at the DGAW board meeting on June 13, 2024 in Bremen. You can download his presentation via the link below.