International Circular Plastic Day featuring an engaging workshop by BKV and PED

Group photo from the BKV and Plastics Europe Germany workshop at the bvse International Circular Plastic Recycling Day 2026

The industry gathering, organised by the bvse Plastics Recycling Association, focused on far-reaching market changes and pressing regulatory issues.
 

Around 300 experts and participants from business, academia and politics discussed the future of the European circular economy in light of the new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) and unfavourable global competitive conditions. At the start of the event, Dr Dirk Textor, Chairman of the bvse Fachverband Kunststoffrecycling (Plastics Recycling Association), emphasised that the pressure on the industry was not caused by a lack of technology or innovation, but primarily by regulatory obstacles. Key demands in his opening speech included ‘quality over quantity’ for plastic recyclates, ‘design for recycling’ as a universal standard, and ‘strengthening the recyclate market through public procurement’, where, despite existing legal frameworks, there is a massive lack of implementation. bvse Vice-President Dr Herbert Snell made a similar argument. He described recycled materials as “strategic raw materials for European industry” that could make a decisive contribution to security of supply. They should therefore be given due consideration by policymakers in plans for Europe’s strategic autonomy.
 
Prof. Dr Henning Wilts (Wuppertal Institute) provided a scientific analysis. In his keynote speech “Out of Crisis Mode”, he warned that without decisive political countermeasures, the European recycled plastics market was at risk of increasingly migrating to China. In addition to short-term market support, he argued, the industry needed, above all, long-term planning certainty for circular economy investments.
 
Workshop by BKV and Plastics Europe Germanyp
 
The joint, two-part workshop organised by BKV GmbH and Plastics Europe Deutschland (PED) entitled “Strengthening the circular economy in Europe through a ‘level playing field’ & the qualified use of recycled materials” bridged the gap between geopolitical challenges and industrial practice: In the first part, organised by PED, “What measures strengthen the circular economy in Europe?”, PED economic expert Maximilian Nichterlein highlighted the current situation in his keynote speech “Changes in plastics trade flows as a result of geopolitical shifts”: Whilst German industrial production has been in decline for seven years and European plastics production is slumping despite stable consumption, other regions of the world are rapidly catching up in terms of the proportion of recycled materials. Increased imports driven by subsidies, dumping and unequal tariffs were putting further pressure on the recycled materials market. Europe therefore needs an effective level playing field for both virgin materials and recycled materials.
 
A key finding of the subsequent panel discussion, moderated by PED Managing Director Dr Christine Bunte and featuring Dr Silke Karcher from the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN), Ralph Schleimer from the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dr Herbert Snell (bvse), Dr Jens Hamprecht (BASF) and Amelie Wolfgart (Bischoff+Klein) was: ‘Made in Europe’ approaches for plastic recyclates can provide some breathing space in the short term if they are effectively implemented and do not lead to additional bureaucracy. Although locally produced recyclates score highly in terms of transparency and delivery reliability, they are often not competitive. Calls were therefore made for reliable usage quotas, effective eco-modulation of EPR fees, tax relief and faster approval procedures.
 
The second part of the workshop, entitled “Quotas versus Quality” and moderated by BKV Managing Director Dr Ingo Sartorius, focused on the tension between meeting regulatory quota targets and the real-world quality requirements of users. Recent studies by the BKV indicate that, from 2030 onwards, there will likely not be enough recycled materials available in Germany and across Europe to meet legal and market-driven requirements. A shortfall of 3.5 million tonnes of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials is forecast for Europe (EU-27+3). The legal requirements for plastic recyclates relate to different sectors, product areas and even polymer types. However, whilst the statutory PCR quotas are volume-based, the quality requirements for the recyclates necessary for product use are not taken into account. Against this backdrop, the session highlighted the importance of quality in relation to volume requirements within the context of waste management practices, from collection and sorting through treatment and recycling to recycled material production and product use.
Dr. Ingo Sartorius, BKV
Elisa Brade, UBA
Lukas Scheeben, Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG
Panel discussion

Elisa Brade from the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency, UBA) began by presenting on the “Practice of sorting and recovery for plastic packaging”. In doing so, she presented the results of a study and survey on high-quality recovery within the recycling infrastructure. Lukas Scheeben from the plastics processor Pöppelmann addressed the topic of “Recyclate use in high-quality applications”. He presented product examples and success factors from his company that enable the use of PCR materials even in demanding applications such as the automotive or medical sectors.
 
The subsequent panel discussion was attended by Dr Frank Buckel (Covestro Deutschland AG), Dr Peter Dziezok (Procter & Gamble), Alexander-Christian Root (Prezero Dual), Dr Isabell Schmidt (IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen) and Dr Dirk Textor (Graf Polymers). The discussion highlighted the technical and quality measures that need to be implemented in sorting and processing to ensure that the high, demanding requirements for the use of recycled materials can be met. A key factor here is that there must be a business case. Market incentives can support the use of recycled materials of the appropriate quality. Topics discussed included the need to comply with product safety requirements, particularly for recycled materials in contact with food, product design optimised for the complex downstream recycling infrastructure, and innovation potential through treatment and recycling technologies. Ultimately, collaboration within the value chain with partners in the plastics and end-user value chains contributes significantly to the successful circular management of plastics.
 
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