Navigating Volumes and Value Chains Towards Circularity: Agriculture, Farming & Gardening
Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) continues to research and provide insights into the plastics value chain, now focusing on Agriculture, Farming & Gardening. While this sector represents a relatively small share (~84 kton) of total plastic consumption in the Netherlands, its use of plastics is growing. Due to the short lifespan of plastic products in this sector (typically ~3 years), a significant amount (~50 kton) enters the waste stream each year. However, only ~21 kton is currently collected for recycling, with merely ~16 kton of recyclates becoming available for reuse.
Much like the Building & Construction (B&C) sector, Agriculture, Farming & Gardening will increasingly face a ‘feedstock gap’, it depends on recyclates from other industries, particularly packaging, to achieve its recycled content levels. Currently, ~27 kton of post-consumer recyclates are used in the sector’s converted products, giving it the highest recycled content share (~28%) of all value chains. Yet, with upcoming European regulations such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the ‘National Circular Plastics Norm’ (NCPN), access to recyclates from external sources is expected to become limited.
The Need for a Circular Approach
To achieve a sustainable plastics cycle, Agriculture, Farming & Gardening must significantly improve its own plastic collection, sorting, and recycling. The ~50 kton of plastic waste generated within the sector could, in principle, provide sufficient recyclates to meet future recycled content targets independently. However, this requires urgent action to enhance collection systems and drive up recycling rates beyond the current ~16 kton.
An Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme with legally binding recycling targets is a key solution. Discussions are already advanced for implementing an EPR for agricultural and horticultural films, representing a significant portion of the sector’s plastic waste. However, other materials—such as smaller films, cans, and flower & plant pots—remain largely unaddressed, as they frequently end up in commercial and household waste streams, making recovery difficult.
Looking Ahead: Key Questions for Circularity
Beyond improving collection and recycling rates, the sector must consider the long-term sustainability of plastic materials used in close interaction with the environment. Key questions include:
- What role could compostable and biodegradable solutions play in agriculture and horticulture?
- How can recyclates be safely incorporated into these solutions?
- How can we prevent recyclates from introducing legacy additives into the environment?
A Call to Action
Without intervention, the sector risks falling short of national and circular economy targets, making long-term sustainability and regulatory compliance uncertain. To address this, potential solutions include extending the scope of current EPR discussions beyond agricultural and horticultural films, introducing a complementary EPR scheme for smaller plastic items, and broadening existing adjacent EPR schemes to cover a wider range of agricultural plastics. Closing the loop in Agriculture, Farming & Gardening is critical to achieving circular economy goals, requiring proactive measures and strong collaboration across the value chain to secure access to sustainable feedstocks and minimize environmental impact.
CPNL will continue to explore these challenges and opportunities in upcoming deep dives. The full analysis on ‘Navigating Volumes and Value Chains Towards Circularity’ will provide a detailed breakdown of volumes, waste streams, and circular economy solutions. It will be published soon following the deep dives into the value chains.
Previous deep dive: Building & Construction
Coming up: Automotive and Electrical & Electronics