Navigating Volumes and Value Chains Towards Circularity: Houseware, Leisure & Sports (HLS)
Understanding the Challenges in HLS Plastics
Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) continues its in-depth analysis of the plastics value chain, now turning its focus to Houseware, Leisure & Sports (HLS). This sector covers a diverse range of applications, from furniture and tableware to toys and sports equipment. Reflecting this diversity, the HLS value chain relies on a wide array of polymer types and faces significant challenges in plastic recycling and circularity.
With Dutch consumption levels at approximately 100 kton annually, the sector has an import surplus of around 20 kton, particularly for toys and other consumer goods. However, despite growing plastic use, the overall share of HLS in the Netherlands' total plastic consumption remains relatively small.
Limited waste recovery
Of the ~100 kton of plastic consumed in HLS, about 74 kton becomes waste. However, only ~15 kton is recovered for recycling-just 20% of the available waste. The majority of HLS plastic waste ends up in mixed household and bulky waste streams, making recovery difficult. Additionally, the absence of a well-developed economic market for recyclates further limits the sector's ability to close the loop. As a result, the share of post-consumer recyclates in HLS production remains low (~7%).
Outlook
Upcoming national legislation, such as the NCPN proposal, will require a higher share of recycled content in plastic products. This will force the HLS sector to secure access to recyclates and improve its circularity. However, significant steps are needed to boost recycling rates, particularly in waste sorting and collection.
A key solution lies in implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme with legally binding recycling targets for the HLS sector. While discussions on an EPR for furniture have begun, this effort must expand to cover a broader range of HLS plastics.
Call to action
To transition toward circularity, the HLS sector must:
- Improve waste collection and sorting - Strengthen infrastructure to recover more plastics from mixed waste streams.
- Enhance market demand for recyclates by developing economic incentives and establishing binding recycling targets through an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme covering a larger share of HLS plastics.
- Prioritize circular product design - Encourage modular, durable, and easily recyclable product designs.
CPNL will continue to analyze these challenges and opportunities in upcoming deep dives. The full report, Circular Plastics NL: Navigating Volumes and Value Chains Towards Circularity, will soon be published, providing an in-depth breakdown of volumes, waste streams, and strategies for circularity.
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