Recital 29

(29) In view of the low recycling rate for plastics, especially from end-of-life vehicles, and the overall negative impacts of other forms of treatment of plastic waste, it is appropriate to increase the uptake of recycled plastics in vehicles. To that end, a mandatory target for plastic recycled from post-consumer waste should be included in new vehicles. Accordingly, each vehicle type should contain plastic recycled from post-consumer plastic waste with progressively rising percentages. Of this recycled content target for plastics in vehicle types, 20 % should be achieved by including plastics recycled from end-of-life vehicles. The selection of plastics covered in the scope of targets is based on the recyclable types of plastics that are specified in the dedicated Joint Research Centre study entitled ‘Towards recycled plastic content targets in new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles – Technical proposals and analysis of impacts in the context of the review of the ELV Directive’ and the impact assessment of this Regulation. In those documents, thermosets other than polyurethane foams in seats and elastomers are not considered in the calculation of the targets, given that thermosets are particularly challenging to recycle. Many common elastomers, thermosets and crosslinked materials do fulfil the polymer definition as referred to in the definition of plastics set out in Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. Elastomers, including thermoplastic elastomers, which can be reprocessed into thermoplastics, are included within the scope of the recycled content targets for plastics provided for in this Regulation. However, recycled content targets for elastomers in tyres are being considered, as tyres are a priority product under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council (10) and therefore not covered by the scope of this Regulation. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of that obligation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish methodology for the calculation and verification of the share of plastics recycled from post-consumer waste, and of post-consumer waste from end-of-life vehicles. To allow recycling methods other than mechanical recycling, including chemical recycling, and to contribute to the attainment of the recycled content targets, it is necessary to establish additional rules for the calculation, verification and reporting of recycled plastic content. In such cases, it is necessary to introduce so-called mass balance accounting in line with mass balance accounting methodologies applicable to plastics recycling, taking into account the characteristics of dedicated recycling technologies for plastics, such as in heterogeneous shredded automotive waste. Where the lack of availability or excessive prices of specific recycled plastics makes compliance with the minimum percentages excessively difficult, the Commission should be empowered to supplement this Regulation by laying down temporary derogations to the recycled plastic content targets.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-14 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.