Published: March 2022
Overview
The long established “take make waste” linear economic model, in which natural resources are used as raw materials to make products which are being discarded as waste after use, has reached its limits. Today, there is a widespread consensus that in order for us to thrive within the limits of our planet, a circular economic model that keeps products and materials in use is required.
Plastics in particular continue to attract negative headlines - for the use of fossil fuels in their production, and the increasing problem of plastic waste pollution in the environment. Consensus has emerged that all parts of the plastics value chain must work together in order to achieve a more sustainable industry model that is based on the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle as per the EU’s waste hierarchy.
Recycling is thus a key component of Europe’s roadmap towards a more circular economy. Change within the industry is driven by ambitious targets for the recyclability and recycling of plastic.
To achieve these targets, the EU’s recycling capacity needs to be modernised and extended, and solutions have to be found to overcome the challenges inherent especially in the recycling of flexible polyolefin films, starting with improvements in the collection and sorting infrastructure.
The agricultural films segment, while accounting for a small share of the overall volume of flexible polyolefin films, offers potential for improved collection and recycling of post-use films, and can play a role in increasing available recycling feedstock volumes at a time when demand is developing faster than supply against a backdrop of growing demand for recycled polymers.
Up-to-date information on market volumes and latest developments across the value chain are thus crucial for making informed decisions. AMI has prepared an authoritative report to provide an independent quantitative and qualitative analysis of the current status of the European agricultural films recycling industry together with forecasts of where the industry will go in the future.
The study aims to quantify the market for the recycling of agricultural films, analysing the supply and demand balance, along with an evaluation of current capacity in the EU+3. It is relevant to all those involved in the agricultural films value chain as well as to recyclers and processors looking for potential new sources of feedstock for recycling operations.
For further information and a free sample copy of the report, please contact sales@ami.international