ETC CE Report 2024/6 Measuring Europe's plastics circularity - through the lenses of the EEA Circularity Metrics Lab
18 Jun 2024
Malin Castell Rudenhausen, Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka, Alesso d'Amato, Alexandra Almasi, Ive Vanderreydt, Lars Fogh Mortensen, Tobias Nielsen
This ETC CE report provides the detailed analysis underpinning the EEA briefing 'The role of plastics in Europe's circular economy - European Environment Agency (europa.eu)'.
The unsustainable production, consumption, and end-of-life management of plastics lead to significant environmental and climate impacts. However, evidence concerning the circular economy of plastics remains fragmented or inadequately supported by data. This report seeks to address these knowledge gaps by developing and identifying metrics that facilitate the assessment of circularity within European plastic systems from a global perspective. Through the lens of the Circularity Metrics Lab, we generated nine metrics to measure Europe’s plastic circularity and enhance our understanding of plastics’ role in Europe’s circular economy. These metrics encompass various aspects, including plastics production and consumption, environmental impacts, climate change implications, and the transition toward a circular approach for plastics.
