Across Europe, pressure to replace virgin plastic with recycled alternatives is mounting — from both EU regulation and global brand owners. This dual momentum is accelerating demand for food-grade, certified circular feedstock — and creating strong market conditions for chemical recycling players like Resiclo.

FMCG brands are moving faster than the law requires

Major consumer goods companies like Unilever and Nestlé are not just complying with EU recycled content mandates — they’re voluntarily going beyond them.

Unilever, for example, has committed that 100% of its rigid plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030, and aims to reduce virgin plastic use by 40% by 2028 compared to 2019 levels¹.

Meanwhile, industrial players like OMV and Borealis are ramping up production of ISCC PLUS–certified pyrolysis oil to serve this growing demand. These brands now treat chemically recycled content as a premium-grade input for high-performance packaging².

Industry reports from Gartner and Reuters confirm that reputation, ESG commitments, and consumer pressure are often more decisive than legislation.

“Leading consumer brands are asking for recycled materials — beyond what legislation dictates.”

Why it matters:

These voluntary brand targets create anchor demand for traceable, food-grade pyrolysis oil. Resiclo’s modular, locally sourced production is designed to meet that need efficiently and at scale.

The 2030 food-grade regulation changes everything

The upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will require 10% recycled content in food-contact plastics by 2030³.

But mechanical recycling can only cover PET bottles in ultra-clean, closed loops — such as UK milk packaging. Polyolefins, which dominate plastic waste, remain too contaminated for food use. Today’s infrastructure simply can’t scale to meet the target.

As Professor Kevin van Geem (Ghent University) notes, only chemical recycling — especially pyrolysis-based — can deliver food-grade outputs that comply with EFSA criteria⁴.

“2030 food-contact plastic rule: only chemical recycling can meet the mandate.”

Why it matters

This rule sets a non-negotiable deadline. Noncompliant packaging may be banned from sale altogether. Resiclo’s certified pyrolysis oil provides a realistic, scalable pathway to compliance — right where mechanical technologies fall short.

Conclusion

As regulators tighten the rules and brands raise the bar, the question is no longer if, but how fast Europe will shift to circular plastics. With scalable technology and modular deployment, Resiclo is building the infrastructure to power that transition.

Sources

1. Unilever Sustainability Goals 2025–2030
2. OMV starts up new ReOil® plant – OMV Newsroom, 2025
3. EcoMundo – PPWR Regulation Explained
4. Prof. Kevin van Geem on Chemical Recycling – Catalisti.be