Ellen MacArthur Foundation publishes policy agenda for bio-based materials

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation on 13 October 2026 published a policy agenda, Circular by nature, calling for bio-based plastics, textiles and chemicals to be governed by rules distinct from those for fossil-derived materials. The foundation wants EU packaging and plastics legislation, now being finalised, to separate claims of bio-based origin from claims of verified circularity, and warns that unmanaged bio-based and compostable plastics can contaminate conventional recycling streams.

Why this mattersProducers of bio-based polymers face a push to redefine EU recyclability and compostability rules just as the legislation is being settled, affecting how their materials are classed.

• The report, titled Circular by nature, was published on 13 October 2026.
• The foundation argues bio-based plastics, textiles and chemicals need policy treatment separate from fossil-derived material rules.
• It calls for regulators to separate claims of material origin from claims of circularity in EU packaging and plastics legislation now being finalised.
• The agenda states bio-based content alone is not a credential; verified material circulation through reuse, recycling or controlled biodegradation is what counts.
• The foundation warns that compostable and bio-based plastics entering conventional recycling streams can contaminate bales and degrade output quality.
• The document sets no binding rules itself; it is framed as directions for lawmakers to convert into law.

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