European policies for a Circular Economy on plastic production

For many years, the Circular Economy is much more than a theoretical model for the Government of the European Union. There are already many initiatives, documents and regulations that have been articulated to facilitate the transition to this new model of production and consumption. The research and innovation that is being developed around this concept play a crucial role in the advance towards a sustainable production for the plastic, where its functional properties and its low cost are taken advantage while achieving better economic, environmental and social results at the same time. This academic and informative work is then transformed, enabled and reinforced by the design of policies, into a tangible reality with tangible benefits.

In fact, the 3^rd of March of2019, the European Commission published, the report ‘Insights from research and innovation to inform policy and funding decisions’. The purpose of this document is to inform on the political and economic decisions on a circular economy for plastics, providing details on R & D projects funded by the EU and the scientific community in general.

The report covers the entire value chain, highlighting a wide range of challenges and opportunities in fields such as eco-design or improvement in the collection, sorting and recycling of plastics. On the basis of scientific evidence, the knowledge gathered would enable a better design of the product for its use, reuse, repair and recycling (mechanical, chemical or organic). Thus, plastics could circulate through our society with total transparency in high-value applications, while minimizing risks to health and the environment.