TOWARDS ZERO LANDFILL BY 2025 Karl-H. Foerster, Executive Director, PlasticsEurope 26th Asia Plastics Forum Council Meeting Bangkok, 14 September 2016

3

Background

• Plastic Waste = Growing Problem ¾ Threat for License to Operate

4

*2 *3 *4

*5

Approach

• Turn Problem into Opportunity

• Plastic Waste = Valuable Resource

4

*8

*9

Action

• Target 100% Collection

• Recycling (Mechanical and Energy)

Europe: Positive Trend – But Significant Potential Untapped

Landfilling is still the most common waste treatment option for Plastics

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Energy Recovery

36% 8.9 mt

Landfill 38%

9.5 mt

Recycling 26%

6.6 mt

Treatment of post-Consumer Plastic Waste in Europe in 2012:

Municipal Solid Waste Incineration

Fuel for energy intensive industrial production, e.g. chemicals, cement etc.

25 mt

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Post-Consumer Plastic waste going to landfill (2012):

above 66%

>50% to 66%

below 10%, i.e. landfill ban

Landfilling of plastic waste is still a major option in many countries

33% to 50%

2005

1999+2006

2004 2006

2009 2005

2016

1996

1997

Date of landfill ban in force

Date of future landfill ban

2016

2014 - Scotland

EU27 plus Norway & Switzerland: 38%

• Landfill Ban = Most Effective to Increase Recycling and Energy Recovery

¾Secure broad Acceptance of Plastic Products and

Industry

Zero Plastics to Landfill

The Case of Germany

0

500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

1994 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

Source: Consultic, "Produktion, Verarbeitung und Verwertung von Kunststoffen in Deutschland", 2011

000 T/Y

Energy Recovery Mechanical Recycling Landfill

Decision to ban

landfilling

10%

37%

38%

1%

42%

56%

41%

36%

14%

Ban of landfilling in force

Lessons Learned • Landfilling remains the most used waste treatment option for plastics as long it

is the cheapest option

• Countries which have banned the landfilling of plastics achieve generally the highest recycling and energy recovery rates

• Eliminating the landfilling has potential to increase reputation of plastics since

it is seen as a valuable resource after use-phase

• Significant investments in recycling and energy recovery plants are necessary, therefore legal certainty is needed.

• Landfill bans (e.g. no material with a calorific value of more than 6 MJ/kg is allowed in landfills) or accelerating landfill taxes are able to provide this certainty 11

Towards Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency

• Improve Collection • Increase Consumers Awareness • Ban Landfill