The European Commission has launched a public consultation on draft rules for calculating, verifying, and reporting recycled plastic content in single-use beverage bottles. This includes chemically recycled material, marking the first time the EU has developed a framework specifically addressing chemical recycling.

The proposed methodology is based on a "fuel-use excluded" approach, meaning plastic waste used for fuel or energy recovery cannot be counted as recycled. The aim is to create a uniform, transparent system that supports investment and levels the playing field across recycling technologies.

These rules form part of the EU Action Plan for the Chemicals Industry and are intended to support the Single-Use Plastics Directive targets—25% recycled content in PET bottles by 2025 and 30% in all single-use bottles by 2030. The initiative supports all recycling methods deemed more sustainable than landfill or incineration, with chemical recycling considered a viable option where mechanical recycling is not feasible.

To reduce administrative burdens, annual third-party verification will be required only for the more complex chemical recycling processes, while SMEs will face verification every three years. The draft rules are also expected to serve as a model for other sectors such as packaging, textiles, and automotive.

The Commission’s adoption of mass-balance accounting, with specific conditions for chemical transformation and material traceability, is seen as a key enabler for technologies like pyrolysis. A lack of clarity in this area has hindered investment and market uptake of chemically recycled inputs in recent years.

Stakeholders can submit feedback via the EU’s Have Your Say portal until 19 August 2025. Final adoption of the rules is expected in autumn 2025, following a vote by the technical committee.

To learn more, proceed to the article by European Commission.