The new report, “Scrutinising Scientific Standards” authored by Dr Andrew Rollinson and endorsed by leading environmental groups, challenges the JRC’s central claim that it is not possible to establish a clear hierarchy among recycling technologies. In doing so, it pushes back against what campaigners see as a worrying erosion of scientific standards in EU policy development.
Dr Andrew Rollinson, author of the report, states: “It is deeply disappointing to see the JRC retreat from the responsibility to guide policy with science. The study lacks transparency, omits critical life cycle impacts, and produces results that simply do not hold up against real-world data.”
The JRC’s study, released in January, was expected to provide a foundation for determining the most sustainable recycling technologies under the EU’s Circular Economy agenda. Instead, it delivers a confused and opaque analysis that avoids drawing clear conclusions.
Fanny Rateau, Senior Programme Manager at Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), added: “The idea that we cannot rank recycling technologies simply doesn’t hold up. Mechanical recycling is clearly the better option, in terms of environmental impact. Failing to acknowledge this weakens the EU’s ability to set strong standards and it opens the door to greenwashing.”
The report warns that by equating fundamentally different technologies, such as mechanical recycling and energy-intensive chemical processes, the JRC risks misguiding investments into certain technologies while legitimising other technologies under the label of ‘recycling’.
Lauriane Veillard, Chemical Recycling and Plastic-to-Fuels Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe, emphasised the broader policy implications: “This isn’t just a technical issue. Without robust definitions and a bounded system, a clear hierarchy cannot be established. This is needed to bring environmental and circular economy commitments together. We need the Commission to set the record straight.”
The new report calls on EU institutions to discard the flawed JRC findings and instead adopt clear, evidence-based recycling criteria that prioritise environmental performance and material recovery.
