Draft Regulation on "End-of-Waste" Criteria for Plastic Waste: Reshaping the Industry Landscape

The European Commission has issued a draft implementing regulation aimed at clarifying the criteria for determining when plastic waste no longer qualifies as waste. This draft focuses on thermoplastic polymers and their blends, including common commodity plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS).  

The draft requires that the content of foreign materials—including non-thermoplastic polymers, non-target thermoplastic polymers, and non-plastic materials—in recycled plastics be kept below 1.9%. It also mandates that producers of recycled plastics establish a quality management system covering key aspects such as input material monitoring, process control monitoring, output quality testing, record keeping, and employee training. This system must be certified by a qualified conformity assessment body and undergo verification every three years. Producers or importers must issue an electronic declaration of conformity for compliant recycled plastic shipments and retain relevant documents for at least three years for inspection by regulatory authorities.  

I. Impact of the Draft on the Chemical Recycling Industry for Waste Plastics  

First, chemical recycling receives formal legal recognition. The draft explicitly states that by January 1, 2029, based on monitoring of the regulation's implementation and advances in plastic waste treatment technologies, chemical recycling technologies that may qualify for "end-of-waste" status will be evaluated and revised as necessary. This provides policy certainty for the long-term development of chemical recycling. Previously, the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive recognized only mechanical recycling, but the latest amendments have formally included chemical recycling within the scope of recycled plastics and introduced the mass balance method for calculation.  

Second, compliance thresholds are systematically raised. The draft's stringent requirements for impurity content mean that chemical recycling enterprises must continuously improve the quality of their pyrolysis oil to meet downstream deep-processing standards. At the same time, the demands for full-chain traceability and quality management system certification will push the industry from "extensive development" into a new phase of "compliance-based competition."  

Third, market access barriers and opportunities coexist. The draft will effectively curb unfair competition practices such as passing off low-cost virgin plastics as recycled plastics, thereby protecting the market space for compliant enterprises. This presents a significant opportunity for companies with mature technology and strong compliance capabilities, while posing challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises.  

II. Niutech: A Global Practitioner of Chemical Recycling for Waste Plastics  

Against the dual backdrop of tightening EU policies and surging global market demand, Niutech, with nearly four decades of technological accumulation, has emerged as a technology leader in the field of chemical recycling for waste plastics and a shaper of global benchmark projects.  

The greatest technical obstacle in transitioning waste plastic pyrolysis from laboratory to industrialization has long been achieving large-scale, industrial continuous, and long-term stable operation of equipment. Through decades of scientific research and development, Niutech has independently developed multiple core technologies, including "thermal dispersion, gas-tight sealing, and anti-polymerization," completely overcoming these industrialization bottlenecks. Its "Industrial Continuous Intelligent Pyrolysis Process," which has been honored with the National Science and Technology Progress Award, can convert waste plastics into fuel and other high-quality pyrolysis products suitable for deep processing within a fully enclosed production line.  

Niutech's technical capabilities have been rigorously validated in international high-end markets, with its projects serving as benchmarks for global chemical recycling of waste plastics. Niutech's technology and equipment were applied in an early Danish waste plastic pyrolysis plant, which received investment and high recognition from the global chemical giant BASF. This project converts mixed waste plastics into high-quality pyrolysis oil for use as chemical feedstock by BASF, successfully achieving a complete "waste plastic-to-new plastic" chemical recycling closed loop. Not only does this project serve as international certification of Niutech's technical strength, but it also provides a replicable model for a plastic recycling solution for global chemical recycling of waste plastics.  

Niutech's technological applications have covered all of China and extended to dozens of countries and regions worldwide. The company has obtained seven major international certifications, including EU CE, German TÜV, ATEX explosion-proof, and ISCC International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. This means that the pyrolysis products manufactured using Niutech's technology meet the stringent requirements for entering the global high-end green renewable energy market.  

The publication of the EU's draft regulation on "end-of-waste" criteria for plastic waste marks the entry of the global waste plastic recycling industry into a new era of "compliance-based competition," moving away from "extensive development." Against this backdrop, enterprises like Niutech—those that possess core technologies, hold international certifications, and have extensive international project experience—will gain significant competitive advantages and become the preferred choice for clients.