Extrusion International 4-2025

34 Extrusion International 4/2025 try involvement will make or break the success of these measures. In North America circularity strategies are heavily frag- mented. The US is pursuing an approach that comprises both state initiatives and private business measures. 33 US states have established EPR programmes, which oblige manufacturers of single-use packaging to finan - cially participate in waste management. By 2032 100%of packaging is to be recyclable or compostable, and 65%of one-way packaging be recycled. Other states, however, lag behind. There is also another reason why plastic recy- cling in the USA only has a low uptake compared to the rest of the world, despite modern recycling technologies: “There is neither a national nor a state-wide recycling programme that would cover at least a complete federal state. Instead, individual cities and municipalities decide whether, howandwhichwaste they collect and sort,” ex - plains the German federal economic promotion agency, Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). Canada pursues a more comprehensive approach to promote the circular economy. The government has in- troduced the “Federal Plastics Registry”, a national reg - istry for plastics to collect data about the production, use and disposal of plastics. It is designed to increase transparency and make for more effective plastic man- agement. The “Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste” aims to reduce plastic waste and establish a circular economy for plastics. It includes measures for reducing single-use plastics and promoting reuse and recycling. Beyond this, a gradual approach is pursued to reduce plastic waste by banning single-use plastic products and introducing EPR. In South America the circular economy is still in its in- fancy – some 90% of waste ends up at landfills and re - cycling is only of secondary importance. Chile, Colombia and Brazil have national return and circularity schemes such as Chile’s “Ley REP”, Colombia’s “Basura Cero” ini - tiative or voluntary industry solutions in Brazil. Uruguay banks on consistent waste management with its Inte- grated Waste Management Act (Ley 19.829) and pro- motes packaging recycling. Despite various advances and initiatives, however, infrastructure remains insufficient in many South American regions and success will depend on further state investment, international cooperation and stronger awareness raising among the population. Summary & Outlook The circular economy is both an obligation and oppor- tunity alike for the plastics industry. Europe pursues a strictly regulatory approach, Asia combines state regu - lations with technology offensives while in the Americas the spectrum ranges from ambitious requirements to a patchwork of isolated measures or confidence in the in - visible hand of the market. But every circular economy model has its pitfalls: regu- lation creates clear rules but can lead to excessive bu- reaucracy and lack of investment – a risk that becomes increasingly perceivable in Europe. “To avoid a slowing down of the transformation we urgently needmeasures to make investment in the production of circularity- ready plastics more attractive, reduce red tape caused by excessively long approval procedures to name but one, and to return to a level-playing field with our interna - tional competitors,” warns Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of Plastics Europe. Market-based approaches promote innovations but do not guarantee nation-wide implementation. Cen- trally controlled strategies produce fast progress but run the risk of becoming inefficient. One thing is clear: without higher recycling rates and more recyclates the circular economy remains a patchwork. Those learning from each other can combine strengths and compen- sate for weaknesses. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.k-online.com K 2025