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According to Sinochem New Network, recently the Spanish plastics industry organization EsPlasticos issued a warning that, due to various factors, the plastics value chain in Spain and throughout Europe is rapidly losing its competitiveness. The organization noted that the EU’s share in global plastic raw material production has dropped from 22% in 2006 to 12% by 2024, while Asia accounts for 57.2%. During the same period, revenue in Europe’s plastic value chain declined by 13%, from 457 billion euros in 2022 to 389 billion euros in 2024. In the field of plastic recycling, affected by competition from low-priced imported products, an imperfect traceability system, and high energy costs, the closure of recycling plants and a halt in investment have worsened in Europe. The trade deficit in recycling increased from 5 billion euros in 2018 to 7 billion euros in 2022, deepening reliance on imports and suppressing demand for domestic recycled materials. Since 2023, Spain has implemented a special tax on single-use plastic packaging, further increasing the operational and compliance costs for businesses. The industry criticizes this tax for failing to effectively promote recycling, instead putting domestic production at a disadvantage compared to imported products whose recycled content is difficult to verify. EsPlasticos calls on the EU to adopt coordinated market measures, suggesting that packaging with a recycled plastic content of at least 30% be exempt from taxes, and that oversight of the origin of recycled materials in imported products be strengthened.