On January 25, 2024, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the Circular Plastic Alliance, an industry coalition, published a new model to provide a detailed analysis of plastic flows within the EU. The model covers all major sectors of plastic and polymer use including packaging, construction, automotive, electronics, and agriculture.
Compared to the first version of the model published in 2020, this second version incorporates chemical recycling and pre-consumer waste for a clearer picture of plastic waste generation and management. While no major new insights came from this effort, the model was designed from the beginning to be dynamic and updateable as more sources of information become available or get updated. Allowing for much less effort going forward. This clearer picture is meant to help Europe identify areas for improvement to meet the 10 million ton annual recycling target set by the EU in the 2018 European plastics strategy (FPF reported).
Similarly, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced in January 2024 that it is considering “the creation of the Federal Plastics Registry, which will be used as a tool to monitor and track plastic from the time it is produced to its end of life.”
According to the press release, the new plastics registry would:
- complement existing reporting requirements such as those under provincial and territorial extended producer responsibility programs,
- harmonize plastics data across the country, and
- make this information openly accessible to all Canadians and businesses through a new and modern reporting platform.
The registry was first proposed in a technical paper published in May 2023 (FPF reported) when ECCC was laying out a roadmap for the country’s goal of zero plastic waste by 2030 (FPF reported). The consultation period on the proposed registry is open until February 13, 2024.
References
JRC (January 23, 2024). “Modelling plastic product flows and recycling in the EU.” European Commission
ECCC (January 2, 2024). “The Government of Canada is seeking feedback on developing a federal plastics registry to help tackle plastic pollution.”
