Global Scans · Plastics · Weekly Summary

• [New] A protein-rich cookie made from plastic and agricultural waste could help solve two serious problems facing future generations. New Atlas
• [New] Packaging must be readily recyclable or compostable by 2030, and all single-use plastic packaging must be reduced by at least 25% by 2030. FlexPackVoice
• [New] As we move beyond the 2026 regulatory threshold, the transition to a circular economy plastic supply chain will define the leaders of the next decade. Healix
• [New] The white paper, Microplastics: Preparing for Australia's Next Regulatory Shift, highlights evidence global plastic production now exceeds 450 million tonnes per year and could almost triple to 1.2 billion tonnes under a business-as-usual scenario. EurekAlert!
• [New] Asia Pacific: Asia Pacific is expected to witness strong growth due to rapid industrialization, increasing plastic consumption, and expanding waste management requirements. Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence
• [New] Deposit and Return Systems: Member States must collect 90% of single-use plastic beverage bottles and metal cans separately by 2029, primarily through mandatory Deposit and Return Systems. Eurofins Scientific
• [New] The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requires 30% recycled content in plastic packaging by 2030, encouraging processors to invest in compounding extruders capable of processing post-consumer recyclate and bio-based polymers such as polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The rollout of Phase 5 marks a significant milestone in Oman's structured national timeline towards achieving the full phase-out of plastic bags by 2027. Uniqus
• [New] The European DIY Retailers Association and the Global Home Improvement Network published the Low-Carbon and Circular Materials Strategy for Plastics to get to 35% recycled plastic content in the plastics used in home improvement products by 2035. Forbes
• [New] By 2030, single-use plastic beverage bottles will be required to have 30% recycled content, rising to 65% by 2040. Packaging News
• Minimum recycled content targets for plastic packaging begin in 2030. Coolset
• The source reduction regulation requires producers to collectively cut single-use plastic packaging by 25% by 2032, using 2023 data as a baseline. Pet Sustainability Coalition
• SB 54 is hailed as legislation that will completely transform the trajectory of plastic packaging, as California is the world's fifth largest economy. Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Last updated: 31 August 2026