The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis 2026

The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis’ provides the most up-to-date, comprehensive and transparent pan-European dataset on the circular plastics transition in Europe (EU27+3). It is made freely available to help policymakers, plastics manufacturers, converters, recyclers and other value chain
partners track progress, identify gaps, and make informed decisions about the enabling conditions required to accelerate circularity.

Published every two years, it provides a data-driven overview of the European plastics system, covering conventional and circular production, use and end-of-life management. This 2026 edition analyses trends for the period 2022–2024 and, for the first time, examines new data including trade flows of fossilbased and circular plastics to provide a more complete picture of material flows in Europe.

The industry’s vision is for Europe to produce, use and recirculate high-quality circular plastics within a competitive, sustainable and net-zero system by 2050. This will ensure that Europe can reduce its dependence on oil and gas imports, while continuing to supply materials critical to many consumer and strategic industrial applications. ‘The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis’ forms part of a broader set of initiatives by Plastics Europe, including ‘The Plastics Transition’ roadmap, to support this shift.