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Implementing decision on SUPD published

The European Commission's proposal to flesh out the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) was adopted in early February.


According to Euwid, the implementing decision now published ‘...Rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the calculation, verification and reporting of data on recycled plastic content in single-use plastic beverage bottles...’ contains, as previously reported, a definition of ‘recycled plastic’, requirements for a mass balance method for crediting chemically recycled PET waste, and for crediting recyclates from third countries. The latter must, as a rule, originate from post-consumer waste and production in the European Union by 21 November 2027. After that date, recycled materials from OECD countries may also be counted, provided that the European Commission concludes in an assessment that the requirements for environmentally sound treatment are met. According to the implementing decision, recycled materials from other third countries may only be counted after 21 November 2027 if corresponding agreements with the EU exist, thus ensuring compliance with EU standards and that the respective countries provide comprehensive evidence of waste management, increased post-consumer recycling and the promotion of the use of recycled materials in the national market.
 
For chemically recycled post-consumer PET waste, the implementing decision stipulates that, in accordance with the applicable ‘fuel use excluded’ method, only proportions that are not processed into fuels or combustibles can be counted. For liquid and gaseous so-called ‘dual-use materials’, the decision stipulates that, in order to be credited, it must be proven that they actually enter a recycling pathway. In addition, operators who use mass balance methods and whose inputs and outputs do not consist exclusively of polymers are required to undergo annual verification at plant level by accredited auditors. The decision is considered adopted with the approval of the committee and will enter into force on the twentieth day after its publication in the EU Official Journal.
 
The association of European plastics manufacturers, Plastics Europe, welcomed the committee's decision in a statement. It sees this as confirmation of the contribution of chemical processes to circularity. According to Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of Plastics Europe, the provisions of the SUPD implementation decision for PET bottles should serve as a practical test case for methods of calculating the recycled content of other products and be optimised for future legislation with a broader scope of polymers and products, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the End of Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR).
 
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