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Plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. With plastics manufacturing still heavily reliant on fossil fuels and plastic pollution threatening ecosystems and human health, the need for innovative solutions has never been more urgent. Responding to this dual challenge — managing existing plastic waste and creating viable alternatives — the European Patent Office (EPO) has released a major new report: Plastics in Transition – Technologies for Plastics Waste Management (available here).
This comprehensive Technology Insight Report explores patent trends from 1975 to 2023, based on 12,924 international patent families (IPFs). It reveals how innovation in plastic waste management has outpaced most other technology sectors, growing 18-fold since 1990 — four times faster than the overall patenting trend. Notably, Europe has played a leading role, accounting for 44% of all related patents over the last three decades.
A Platform for Innovation and Policy
The report is accompanied by a new EPO technology platform that maps key developments in plastic waste recovery, recycling and alternative plastics. This interactive tool helps scientists, researchers and policymakers track technological shifts in real time. Through 70 searchable technology areas, it allows users to:
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Identify patents by concept and application area
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Retrieve descriptive statistics by year, country, applicant and inventor
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Tailor Espacenet search queries to their specific interests
Jointly developed with 15 national patent offices, this resource offers one of the most up-to-date and accessible datasets on plastics innovation from a waste management and materials perspective.
Trends Driving the Transition
Key technologies with high patenting activity include:
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Pyrolysis and chemolysis: converting waste plastics into valuable feedstocks
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Optical and AI-driven sorting: enhancing precision in waste recovery systems
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Enzymatic depolymerisation: breaking plastics down into original monomers for reuse
Advanced recycling techniques are now outperforming traditional mechanical methods. Sector-specific applications — such as packaging and textiles — are seeing particularly strong growth.
Case Studies in Innovation
Two standout examples highlighted in the report illustrate Europe’s leadership:
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Recycleye (UK): This startup integrates AI and robotics to sort waste more efficiently using computer vision, enabling more accurate and scalable plastic recycling.
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Avantium (NL): Pioneers in developing PEF, a bio-based alternative to PET plastic. PEF is stronger, more energy-efficient, and offers a significantly lower carbon footprint than fossil-based plastics.
Startups and Universities on the Rise
From 2010 to 2023, 82 startups and 63 universities in Europe filed patents in plastics waste technologies. While startups lead in advanced recycling processes, universities are more active in exploring environmentally friendly materials and removal technologies. Top contributors include institutions in France, Germany, the UK and Sweden.
To connect inventors and investors, the EPO has updated its Deep Tech Finder to include 145 European startups and universities working in plastic waste innovation, offering insights into 306 patent applications.