The European Commission has opened the public consultation on the upcoming Circular Economy Act, an initiative that will help accelerate the EU’s shift to a more sustainable, resilient, and circular industrial base.
At PROSPER, we welcome this step. Our project, co-funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) under the Horizon Europe program and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), Grant Agreement 101157907, is working to scale up circular solutions for bio-based plastics, addressing the key challenge of end-of-life treatment.
Today, bioplastics represent a small share of plastic consumption. Although their production is growing, quantities are often too small to justify dedicated recycling infrastructures — especially in countries lacking organic waste treatment facilities.
While nations like Italy and Ireland have systems to co-collect and compost bioplastics with food waste, many others do not. So, what happens to bioplastics when they aren’t composted?
PROSPER is building a full-chain demonstration model:
✅ Sorting
✅ Mechanical & chemical recycling
✅ Cost modelling and EPR contribution strategies
✅ Achieving TRL 7 via real-life pilots in partner countries
The Circular Economy Act can reinforce these efforts and enable bio-based, circular innovations to scale. Make your voice heard by responding to the consultation — open until 6 November 2025 via the Have Your Say portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14812-Circular-Economy-Act_en
