In an urgent bid to save its domestic plastic recycling industry, the European Commission has launched a package of pilot actions that introduces distinct customs codes for virgin and recycled plastic.
The move is designed to crack down on “greenwashing” at the border, where imported fossil-fuel-based plastics are often mislabeled as recycled content. These often bypass environmental standards and undercut local prices.
Cracking down:
For the first time, customs authorities will have the digital tools to distinguish between virgin and secondary raw materials. Industry data shows that Europe’s plastic recycling growth slowed to just 6% in 2023. This is largely due to a flood of cheap, mislabeled imports from third countries. By creating separate codes, the EU can now monitor the flow of material more accurately and apply trade measures if unfair competition is detected.
A level playing field:
The new rules will be supported by an EU Import Surveillance Task Force in 2026, which will oversee stricter documentation requirements and conduct audits on recycling plants located outside the EU.
“Europe’s competitiveness and resilience depend on how efficiently we use our resources,” said Jessika Roswall, Commissioner, Environment and Water Resilience. “With today’s measures, we are taking concrete steps to help the struggling plastics recycling sector in Europe and building a genuine Single Market for circular materials.”
Harmonizing the single market:
Beyond border controls, the “Winter Package” includes an implementing act to create EU-wide end-of-waste criteria.
Currently, recycled plastic is often stuck in a legal limbo—classified as “waste” in some countries and “raw material” in others. This harmonization will allow certified recycled plastics to move freely across all 27 Member States, reducing administrative costs for recyclers by an estimated €120 million per year.
Legal certainty for new tech:
The package also finalizes rules for chemical recycling, allowing it to count toward the EU’s 2025 target of 25% recycled content in PET bottles. This provides the “regulatory bridge” needed for the industry to move forward with planned investments of €8 billion. While industry groups like FEAD argue for even stronger “Made in Europe” clauses, the Commission frames these pilot actions as the essential foundation for the upcoming 2026 Circular Economy Act.
