International Policy and Regulatory Trends
1. The European Union Unifies the Criteria for Determining the "End of Life" of Plastic Waste
Table
Project Content
Release Date August 6, 2026 (WTO notification G/TBT/N/EU/1229)
Effective Date 20th day after the official publication in the EU Official Gazette, and fully implemented within 6 months
Public Comment Deadline September 20, 2026
Applicable Scope Two types of recycling processing modes: mechanical recycling and solvent dissolution recycling
Three Core Compliance Requirements:
Raw Material Control: Recycled materials must meet specific purity and composition standards
Processing Control: Establish a complete quality control system, and review every 3 years
Finished Product Control: Each batch of recycled plastic must issue an electronic conformity statement
Export Constraints: Recycled plastics exported to EU outside (including non-EU member countries) are only allowed to contain a single thermoplastic polymer (PE, PP, PET mixture excluded), avoiding the loophole of waste export supervision.
For enterprises exporting recycled plastics to the EU, they must strictly control foreign impurities and restricted substances, establish a traceable quality system, and complete a third-party review.
2. The EU plastic recycling industry faces a "collapse risk"
Industry Warning: The European Plastic Recyclers Association (PlasticsRecyclersEurope) warns that the plastic recycling industry is facing a "industry collapse" risk
Core Challenges:
Operating costs soar, and the prices of recycled goods fluctuate sharply
Weak demand, some recycling facilities reduce production capacity or close
Unfair competition from cheap virgin and recycled plastics from outside the EU
Policy Shift: The EU plans to pass the "Circular Economy Act" in 2026, shifting from simply setting targets to building an economically feasible market environment
3. Global plastic pollution governance enters the "mandatory compliance" stage
EU PPWR Regulation: The "Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation" was officially implemented on August 2026
Chinese Policy: The new Environmental Law Code was implemented at the beginning of the year, and the first mandatory national standard for excessive packaging in express delivery was implemented in July
Global Situation: Over 100 countries and regions around the world have simultaneously tightened the control of disposable plastic products, and 2026 is regarded as a key node from "advocating restrictions on plastic use" to "mandatory compliance"