![]() In light of small margins especially in recycling, financial aid from governments is keeping stronger firms afloat, while at the same time consolidation takes place across the industry. In a resurgence scenario, industry developments are determined by policy and industry goals formulated before COVID-19. #Afloat github without mysimbl license#Measures as drastic as today's Single-Use Plastics Directive would be looming and may put the license to operate of an entire industry at risk. When the economy has recovered from the COVID-19 shock, however, the general public will revive the debate around circular solutions for plastic packaging and may be less tolerant about the progress that will have been made. The plastics value chain becomes even more scattered, and hence developments towards a design for recycling are reversed, and investment into new recycling technologies and R&D grinds to a halt. However, these alternatives are not necessarily superior from a sustainability perspective. This questions the brand owners’ concept towards circularity in plastic packaging, and they will look to alternatives such as bioplastics or paper to at least partially achieve their circular economy goals. A surge in the use of food packaging consisting of multiple polymers, even long after the pandemic, results in hard-to-separate waste streams and lower recyclate quality, which cannot be treated properly due to lacking investments into the respective technologies. For recyclers, this means financial incentives to keep depreciated plants running and marginally increase capacity where possible. Any financial aid goes towards restoring the version of the industry before it was hit by COVID-19, without taking efficiencies or investments in new technologies into account. Regression portrays a scenario in which the plastics industry is governed by a paradigm of cheap, multi-functional packaging. We believe that the spectrum of possible developments stretches between these two contrasting scenarios: However, this places the plastics industry at a crossroads. The public sector is set to offer financial support to help firms and industries deal with the crisis, aiming to avert a long-lasting recession. ( Gao et al., 2020) At the same time, single-use plastics are in higher demand, while reusable alternatives are cut back to prevent viral contagion. This increases the pressure on recyclers, since at a price of 60 USD per barrel of oil, there are only a few types of plastic that can be recycled at a profit. With virgin prices ranging below those of recycled material, converters are switching back wherever technically feasible. ( Tudball, 2020) Over the months to come, these developments are likely to make recyclate, which was already in high demand before the crisis, even more expensive. In Spain, Italy, and Eastern Europe collection has come to a complete standstill due to the severity of the outbreak. For example, France has had to switch from separate to mixed collection of all household waste to adjust pickups to the reduced workforce available, resulting in a waste stream that is more difficult to recycle and a larger share of the valuable material dumped in landfill or incinerated. Social distancing measures have restricted collection and sorting capacities. Cutbacks in industrial production have significantly reduced the supply of high-value material from post-industrial waste. ( Murugesh, 2020) At the household level, the supply of recyclable material in varying qualities is fluctuating: While curbside collection of mixed waste has increased, return levels in deposit systems have temporarily fallen due to limited mobility and fear of contagion. However, the current COVID-19 crisis has hit the industry on several fronts. In recent years, plastic recycling has been on an upswing, with Europe setting stringent targets and recycling schemes generally emerging around the world. In particular, the recycling of plastic packaging is a central theme, in terms of resource conservation and waste reduction, marine litter in particular ( European Commission. 2020). ( European Commission, 2019) The transition to a circular economy constitutes an important pillar of the Green Deal. We use the graphicx package to manage images in LaTeX.With its promise to invest a trillion euros over the next 10 years, the European Union has set forth the European Green Deal as a unique opportunity to reinforce its economic base. #Afloat github without mysimbl how to#People also askHow do I import a picture in latex?How do I import a picture in latex?Below is an example on how to import a picture. Put an equation next to an image next to an equation tag.Can I insert an image into an equation?. ![]()
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