The European Patent Office (EPO) has published a new report, Plastics in Transition, analysing patent filing trends across a range of technologies aimed at plastic waste management.
Drawing on global patent data from 1970 to 2021, the report reveals a dramatic rise in innovation addressing plastic waste. There has been a nearly 20-fold increase in international patent families related to plastic waste management since 1990—far outpacing average growth in other technology sectors—with a significant surge in filings beginning around 2015 (see Figure E.1).
The report focuses on two key areas: waste recovery (such as sorting and purification) and waste recycling, including mechanical, chemical, and biological processes.
It identifies shifting trends in plastic waste management over the nearly five decades of data analysed. In some cases, rapid short-term growth is evident, particularly in technologies addressing critical challenges like microplastics and PFAS pollutants (see page 5).
Slower but more persistent growth is seen in novel recycling technologies. For example, chemical recycling techniques such as pyrolysis and chemolysis have gradually closed the gap with traditional mechanical recycling processes over the period studied (see Table 3), with pyrolysis recently overtaking mechanical recycling in terms of patent filings (see page 23). Although representing a smaller share, enzymatic recycling—especially of PET plastics—is also gaining momentum (see Table 3).
Geographically, Europe leads global innovation in this field, accounting for 46% of patent filings in 2023 (see page 30), with notable contributions from Germany, France, Italy, and the UK (see page 7). The innovation landscape is also expanding: universities and start-ups now represent around 30% of new patents (see page 33 onwards).
To complement the report, the EPO has launched an interactive online platform mapping key technologies in plastic waste management, offering valuable insights for innovators, investors, and policymakers.
The message is clear: the transition to a circular plastics economy is underway—and innovation is driving it.
