How To Set Recycling Targets That Actually Work

The United Nation’s Treaty on Plastic Pollution is set to be finalized in 2024. Now is the time for stakeholders to take action and support the development of a truly effective instrument.  

But how do we get to zero plastic pollution? One way is to ensure ambitious mandatory recycling targets on plastic packaging.  

In anticipation of the third round of negotiations taking place in Nairobi to discuss the terms of the Treaty, TOMRA has published 10 recommendations for consideration. 

The third of these recommendations is to set a minimum 55% recycling rate target for plastic packaging. Providing realistic and strict timelines for all countries – regardless of their development stage – will help ensure resources are spent on efficient initiatives. 

If we want to address plastic pollution, the treaty must include specific targets for managing plastic waste. Ambitious recycling targets have not only been shown to kickstart effective waste management systems but have also proven to help align stakeholders across the plastics value chain. By ensuring predictability for private and public sectors, policy can help stimulate investment and encourage innovation. 

Meaningful targets = meaningful results 

It is critical that targets are set high enough to motivate the development and implementation of high-performance systems that can effectively address all post-consumer plastic packaging waste. If targets are set too low, only systems with limited performance potential will likely be implemented rather than striving for something better. 

Meaningful recycling targets offer a practical way to monitor progress and hold organizations accountable for their sustainability commitments. Setting ambitious recycling targets incentivizes organizations to decrease high leakage – the amount of plastic that is not effectively captured or recycled.  

Alongside ambitious targets, the framework should also include clear definitions of scope. They are the foundation of successful extended producer responsibility schemes, encouraging producers to consider design-for-recycling and recycled content for their products and packaging. 

Important criteria for setting recycling targets 

The UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution should include a framework that reviews and revises these targets within realistic timelines. Here are some important aspects that must be considered when setting comprehensive targets for plastic waste:  

1. The existing infrastructure in each region and the type of systems/investments needed to meet targets.  
2. The recyclability of different types of plastic packaging. 
3. What counts and what does not count towards recycling.  
4. Clear definitions on how performance is calculated against recycling targets.  

Implementing effective systems may be easier and quicker in regions with less established infrastructure. Incrementally increasing targets over time drives investments into infrastructure and promotes systems innovation. Taking a phased approach gives stakeholders the time needed to adapt and scale up their efforts. 

Clear, ambitious, and realistic targets that address the full spectrum of plastic materials are essential to drive the development of recycling systems. They can also promote product and packaging re-design by tailoring the policy to all packaging formats. For example, the targets for plastic beverage containers could include a 90% separate collection rate and a 25% recycled content mandate. 

What counts towards recycling targets 

While targets can be set and measured at different points in the value chain – mainly collection, sorting, or recycling – the calculation point to support real progress toward a circular economy should be as close to the final recycling step as practical.  

When plastic is collected, sorted, and reprocessed into secondary raw materials for new products and packaging, it counts as recycling. Energy recovery, on the other hand, should not be classified as recycling. 

This approach ensures that contamination, pre-treatment losses, and residues are not included in the recycling performance numbers. To ensure accurate data, it is best to measure the product material output from the recycling process in relation to the total volumes placed on the market. 

Waste management systems that deliver results 

Governments cannot afford to spend time and money implementing systems that will not deliver maximum results. Reducing the impact of end-of-life plastic waste is primarily measured by recycling rates and the reduction in CO2 emissions.  

Combining three waste management techniques can provide field-proven results with global potential. This holistic approach to managing resources like plastic is designed to maximize environmental and economic benefits through recycling. When supported by strong extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies, these techniques offer significant potential to exceed targets as cost-effectively as possible.  

A holistic approach to resource management could include deposit return systems, mixed waste sorting and separate collections for textiles (another significant yet often overlooked source of plastic-based waste).  

TOMRA’s Holistic Resource Systems integrate:    

1. Deposit return systems, which provide consumers with a meaningful financial incentive to return beverage containers, result in much higher plastic collection rates when compared to other separate collections of the same materials.   
2. Separate collections, which collect end-of-life goods (organics, textiles, e-waste, paper and glass) according to material type to ensure higher quality recycling. 
3. Mixed waste sorting, which recovers recyclable materials from household waste by sorting and extracting recyclable materials prior to disposal in landfills or incinerators. Moreover, virgin-like recycled plastic can be produced when combined with advanced mechanical recycling.  

These three systems can deliver high performance and cost efficiency for individual countries across various development phases when implemented together. What’s more, they can help facilitate a 'just transition' toward a circular economy – a transition that is equitable and beneficial for everyone, from producers and industry to municipalities and waste pickers. 

TOMRA calls upon governments worldwide to set ambitious yet realistic recycling targets that are reviewed regularly and increased over time. Ultimately, this international binding treaty could have a tremendous impact on the plastic pollution crisis for many years to come - let's ensure that the impact is a positive and powerful one.