The European Commission’s new Circular Economy Action Plan is tackling plastic pollution with a goal to ensure all packaging becomes reusable or recyclable by 2030. However, currently less than half of plastic packaging waste is recycled, with most of it going to landfill or incineration.

Ahead of the crucial vote in the European Parliament's ENVI Committee next January, this discussion will bring together policy makers from the European Commission and European Parliament, alongside an NGO and the private sector, to look at industry demand for recycled plastic materials and how to ensure that waste management infrastructure and recycling technologies in the EU can help meet the EU’s circular economy targets. The panel will have a specific focus on meeting packaging targets in the food and drink industry.

There will be no long intros and no irrelevant chitchat. In our strictly timed ‘Food & Drink in Five’ format, we'll explore the plastic problem with five hard hitting questions across 50 minutes.