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Rotary : Another brick in the wall against plastic waste

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EndPlasticSoup (EPS) and International Country Committees (ICC) renewed their cooperation on plastic waste by signing the Cooperation Action Plan 2026/2028, in Brussels on 28 May 2026, writes Stavros Papagianneas, author of Embracing Chaos (2021), Rebranding Europe (2024)  and managing director of STP Communications.

EPS and the ICC Executive Council refer to the Cooperation Agreement signed in London in 2024 to encourage collaboration between the two Rotary networks.

This initiative offers a platform for collaboration to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution on people of all ages, wildlife and the environment on our planet.

The Action Plan was signed by Dr Azelio Fulmini, EPS Director to ICC, and Annemarie Mosterd, President of the ICC Executive Council 2026-2028, as pictured here.

EndPlasticSoup is a global Rotary initiative aiming to eliminate plastic pollution from oceans, rivers, and forests by 2050 through local action, in partnership with its worldwide network of over 60 Alliances.

It addresses the plastic pollution problem through awareness and education, action & projects, and alliances, to reduce, reuse, and recycle across the lifecycle, including improved waste management and reduced single-use plastics and microplastics.

In February 2024, the Rotary Intercountry Committees (ICC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EndPlasticSoup to mobilise its international network in support of this cause.

Plastic waste is a significant environmental issue, with millions of tons produced annually, causing pollution, harming wildlife, and posing health risks. The EU is actively working to address plastic waste and improve recycling rates. The European Green Deal aims to transform the European Union (EU) into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy.

To achieve this goal, the transition from a linear to a circular economy in Europe will require major transformations in the plastics sector, particularly in light of new, ambitious recycling targets (e.g., a 55% recycling rate of plastic packaging waste by 2030, as indicated by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive1).

However, of the 32.3 Mt of plastic waste generated in the EU in 2022, only 27 % is estimated to have been recycled after impurities and unsuitable substances were removed from the sorted materials. (Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Volume 215, April 2025)

Developing innovative recycling technologies is therefore key to increasing recycling rates and potentially improving environmental performance compared with existing treatment technologies.

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