EUBP STATEMENT on the EU policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics

Comments on compostable plastics

The role of industrially compostable plastics in a circular economy:

Industrially compostable plastics can play an essential role in putting the envisioned circular economy into practice. With reference to the European waste hierarchy, industrially compostable plastics provide added value through organic recycling (i.e., industrial composting and anaerobic digestion) as an additional waste treatment option, and by producing a higher volume and quality of valuable compost. Compost is a valuable resource that can be used as natural fertilizer benefiting soil health and helping to combat climate change. Additionally, a larger amount of separately collected biowaste can also help to increase the share of biogas production if the waste is processed via anaerobic digestion. Separately collection biowaste is diverting organic waste away from other waste and recycling streams and reducing contamination of these streams with. The more biowaste is being collected separately, the more is diverted from incineration or mechanical plastic recyclin