South Korea pursues a systemic, technology-driven approach via its new “Act for Promotion of Transition to a Circular Economy Society” (APTCES): binding recycling rates, clear requirements for sustainable product design as well as targeted regulation for hard-to-recycle products. In addition, companies wanting to place new recycling technologies on the market, are temporarily exempted from restrictions.
Unlike Europe, these two countries are banking on clear responsibilities, hands-on implementation and targeted innovation funding rather than detailed regulation. This approach is supported by high social acceptance and responsibility assumed across the board when it comes to waste separation and saving resources, for example.
From India to Indonesia: why the circular economy is faltering
In India the “Plastic Waste Management Rules” (PWMR) oblige companies to take back plastic waste. Despite this important step insufficient infrastructure and the varying regional applications of the rules remain a major challenge for a nation-wide implementation. Similar problems exist in Vietnam, where an EPR law was introduced in 2022. It holds manufacturers and importers accountable for seeing to the recyclability of their products.
In Thailand the “Plastic Waste Management Roadmap 2030” pursues the aim of recycling or energetically using 100% of plastic waste by 2027. There are local initiatives in Indonesia but there is no comprehensive national strategy. One objective is to drastically reduce the plastic waste that ends up in the sea by 2040.
Despite the progress made in these countries the regional fragmentation of waste management and the lack of infrastructure continue to pose a major challenge. Raising people’s awareness and stronger industry involvement will make or break the success of these measures.
North America: a patchwork of strategies
In North America circularity strategies are heavily fragmented. 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 financially 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 recycling 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, how and which waste they collect and sort,” explains the German federal economic promotion agency, Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).
Canada pursues a more comprehensive approach to promote the circular economy. The government has introduced the “Federal Plastics Registry”, a national registry 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 management. 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.
South America has a long way to go
In South America the circular economy is still in its infancy - some 90% of waste ends up at landfills and recycling 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” initiative or voluntary industry solutions in Brazil. Uruguay banks on consistent waste management with its Integrated Waste Management Act (Ley 19.829) and promotes 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 opportunity alike for the plastics industry. Europe pursues a strictly regulatory approach, Asia combines state regulations with technology offensives while in the Americas the spectrum ranges from ambitious requirements to a patchwork of isolated measures or confidence in the invisible hand of the market.
But every circular economy model has its pitfalls: regulation creates clear rules but can lead to excessive bureaucracy and lack of investment - a risk that becomes increasingly perceivable in Europe. “To avoid a slowing down of the transformation we urgently need measures 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 international competitors,” warns Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of Plastics Europe.
Market-based approaches promote innovations but do not guarantee nation-wide implementation. Centrally 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 compensate for weaknesses.
Shaping the Circular Economy at K 2025
At K 2025 enterprises from the different sectors of industry - raw material production, machine building and processing - will flag up the major advances made so far as well as coherent future solutions for the circular economy under the guiding theme “Shaping the Circular Economy”. The numerous K Specials will also pick up on the topic, first and foremost the VDMA Dome. The VDMA (German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association) will again host an extensive Forum on the outdoor premises in 2025, this time entitled “The Power of Plastics”. With 12 of its member companies it will demonstrate live on the premises between Halls 10 and 16 just how important technology is for implementing circularity in the plastics industry. In the official Special Plastics Shape the Future in Hall 6, organised by Plastics Europe Germany, the discussion forum on Thursday, 9 October, will come under the motto: “Circular Thursday: Transition - Resilience of the industry - which technologies will make the circular economy work?”
For more information on the Circular Economy go to: Circular Economy: Future of the Plastics Industry | K Trade Fair
K 2025 will be open daily from 10.00 am to 6.30 pm from Wednesday, 8 October, to Wednesday 15 October. Tickets are available online from 15 April. 1-day admission tickets cost EUR 60, 3-day tickets are EUR 125. School pupils and students pay EUR 20 for a 1-day ticket.
