INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, today discloses first results of the ResolVe project. The project team now has proof of concept of closed loop recycling. The process converts waste polystyrene back to pure styrene via a depolymerisation process, followed by a polymerisation process resulting in a quality identical to virgin polystyrene. The results show that polystyrene is very well recyclable.

On 20 September 2019 in Brussels, the Circular Plastics Alliance presented and adopted its declaration. The declaration describes the alliance’s vision for more recycled plastics in Europe, as well as their commitments for action to reach the EU target to incorporate 10 million tonnes of recycled plastics into products in the EU annually by 2025.

On 16 September 2019, Plastic Europe, together with 92 other European associations representing key European stakeholders in the field of research and innovation, signed a joint statement urging the EU institutions to make research, development and innovation (RD&I) a priority within the next financial framework 2021-2027. The associations urge the Council of the EU to increase the budget allocated under Horizon Europe to at least EUR 120 billion, of which at least 60% should be earmarked for a pillar “Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness.”

On 27 August 2019 a meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW), between Deputy Minister Nikolay Kanchev and representatives of the Branch Association of Polymers (BAP) on the initiative of the MEP Andrey Slabakov. The main topic was the transposition of the adopted Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament of 5 June 2019 on reducing the environmental impact of certain disposable plastic products.

BAP representatives held a meeting with MEP Andrei Slabakov to discuss the impact on the polymer branch of Directive 2019/904.

Branch Association Polymers supports the united initiative by signing the joint paper on the positioning of industry at the core of the EU’s future with a Joint call to the Heads of State and Government.

On 27 March 2019 the European Parliament adopted the final text of the draft Directive on the reduction of the use of certain types of plastic products during its plenary session without any further changes to the text.

Branch Association Polymers organized and held a two-day seminar on “Plastics injection molding process and technologies”.

Bulgaria was represented by the three finalists of the National Youth Debate Final held in Sofia on 18 May 2018 in Sofia Municipality