dvi: Guidance paper on securing loading units
With an orientation paper on load unit securing, the dvi aims to support companies in the packaging and logistics sector in categorising the future requirements of the PPWR.
Read more "
Stakeholders from the entire value chain jointly address politicians. Organised in the Unternehmerforum chemisches Recycling (UFCR), they put forward proposals in nine areas in which legislators should set the course for a functioning circular economy for plastics.
Product status for chemical recycling products, introduction of recyclate utilisation quotas, recognition of mass balances - these are three of the key areas of political action identified by the members of the UFCR. In the paper now presented „Policy fields of action for the raw materials transition and the transformation to a circular economy through chemical recycling in Germany“ companies - from plastics manufacturers and processors to recyclers - will present nine areas in which legislators must set the course for a functioning circular economy for plastics. The UFCR is organised and moderated by the Industrial Resource Strategies think tank.
„With the current legal framework, chemical recycling on an industrial scale cannot really be realised economically and legally securely in Germany. As the goal of using fewer fossil-fuelled plastics has been clearly formulated by the German government and industry, there is a need for action. Without chemical recycling, there will be no comprehensive circular economy for plastic waste."
Dr Christian Kühne, Thinktank managing director and UFCR moderator
Example: Product-specific recyclate utilisation rates
Mandatory recycling quotas in packaging and other applications are accelerating the transformation from fossil to circular raw materials. Truly ambitious targets for raw material substitution can only be achieved, if secondary raw materials from chemical recycling, e.g. pyrolysis oil, are also taken into account. This requires investment in the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure as well as secure access to waste that cannot be processed in mechanical recycling.
The end consumer must be provided with transparent information about the actual recycled content by means of an appropriate label. Future product claims must clearly distinguish between „recyclates“ (physically verifiable circular content) and „allocated recyclates“, as provided by mass-balanced chemical recycling.
Example: Packaging Act
Here, chemically recycled plastics have not yet been recognised for the existing recycling quotas. The German government announced in the coalition agreement that it would change this. The UFCR is now putting a proposal on the table, fair conditions for mechanical and chemical recycling creates: Section 16(2) of the Packaging Act should be amended to allow the dual systems to use chemical recycling processes beyond the first 63 per cent of the mechanical recycling rate for plastics in order to achieve a higher recycling rate.
The members of the UFCR are submitting a proposal to politicians on how to create an attractive framework and fair conditions for mechanical and chemical recycling. This would result in Legal certainty for companies, so that investments in sustainable technologies are attractive in Germany. This would also be a significant contribution to strengthening Germany as a centre for chemicals and industry.
The proposals for nine fields of action:
- Waste hierarchy level 3 for chemical recycling
- End of waste status through REACH registration
- Utilisation of specific and flexible mass balance methods
- Amendment of Section 16 (2) VerpackG
- Product-specific recyclate utilisation rates
- Investments and steering effect - away from incineration and towards recycling
- Sorting of household-related municipal waste
- Consistent enforcement of the KrWG and GewAbfV
- Establishment of a standardised and independent body and data collection of all waste and recycling processes as well as certificates
The Paper of the UFCR is available for download.
Source: Industrial resource strategies think tank
Recycling - More news
Cycle for strapping bands
Disposal company Re-strap and Teufelberger have concluded a long-term agreement for the return of used plastic strapping.
Read more "
Vilsa bottle combines the advantages of glass and PET
Vilsa relies on freshness protection technology for all non-returnable PET bottles, in which a wafer-thin barrier layer of glass inside the bottles ensures greater product protection.
Read more "
Anja Siegesmund leaves the BDE
Change of leadership at the BDE: Executive President Anja Siegesmund hands over her office to Vice President Matthias Harms on 31 January 2026.
Read more "
BDE calls for improvements to the Packaging Act
Despite a 70 per cent recycling rate for plastic packaging, the BDE sees a need for reform of the Packaging Act - and is calling for investment security, recyclate markets and clear incentives.
Read more "
UBA and ZSVR: packaging recycling works
With new figures on packaging recycling, UBA and ZSVR prove that recycling is not a myth, but works and is well monitored.
Read more "