1、DESIGNING FOR CIRCULARITYDESIGNING FOR CIRCULARITYMARCHMARKET INSIGHTS BRIEF2026The current landscape and future path of Chinas recyclable plastic packaging design standardsELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATIONDESIGNING FOR CIRCULARITY2WHY IS PLASTIC PACKAGING DESIGN THE KEY TO TACKLING THE PLASTIC POLLUTION C
2、RISIS?Against the backdrop of accelerating global efforts to address plastic pollution,design-driven approaches have become a dominant trend in packaging governance.The EUs Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation(PPWR),1 formally adopted in 2024,stipulates that by 2030 all packaging placed on the m
3、arket must be“designed for recyclability”.Starting in 2035,packaging will also be assessed based on its actual large-scale recyclability in real-world conditions.In China,as the concepts of green design and eco-design2 become an integral part of the national“Dual Carbon”(carbon peaking and carbon ne
4、utrality)strategy,policies and industry standards related to plastic packaging design are advancing at an accelerating pace.Product design includes all the early decisions on materials,structure,and functionality,and sets out the conditions for whether packaging can be effectively reused,recycled,or
5、 otherwise circulated back into the economy.Once packaging enters the market,its reusability,recyclability,and compostability all depend on whether its design follows circular economy principles and it is compatible with corresponding infrastructure.ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATIONDESIGNING FOR CIRCULARIT
6、Y3GLOBAL LANDSCAPE:THE EVOLUTION OF DESIGN STANDARDSAs global regulatory frameworks for packaging undergo rapid transformation,the international community is advancing design-oriented legislation and standards.Regions including the EU and the UK have introduced mandatory requirements for plastic pac