MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Why plastic credits now?

The market case for plastic credits, organised around waste management needs, policy and demand for verified outcomes.

The investment thesis

Plastic crediting remains a developing market. Its growth case is linked to the need for additional waste-management finance, stronger producer responsibility and demand for independently verified recovery and recycling outcomes.

Carbon credits: historical comparison

2005: £4/ton

2025 material: £70–80/ton

Stated growth: 20x

Plastic credits: Reclaimed Earth projection

2025 material: £80–150/ton

2035 projection: £400–750/ton

Projected growth: 4–5x

Projected plastic-credit values are forward-looking illustrations only, not guaranteed returns.

SUPPLY & DEMAND

The scale of the gap

400Mtons of annual waste cited for 2025

<2Mtons of verified credits cited annually

200:1stated demand-to-supply gap

Waste volumes

Global plastic waste is expected to increase substantially over coming decades. This creates a significant financing challenge for collection, sorting, recycling and responsible waste management infrastructure.

Verified supply

Plastic crediting is still developing, with different standards, project types and approaches across the market. Strong governance, transparent verification and clear claims are important when assessing credit quality.

POLICY DRIVERS

Government and corporate pressure

Extended Producer Responsibility

EPR schemes place more responsibility on producers for packaging and waste generated by their products.

Plastic taxes & levies

Packaging taxes and levies can encourage greater use of recycled content and changes in packaging design.

Recycling targets

Mandatory and voluntary recycling targets can increase the need for measurable recovery and recycling outcomes.

Market cycles and the green economy

Plastic credits sit within a wider shift towards results-based environmental finance. Their long-term role will depend on market integrity, policy design, buyer demand and the quality of the underlying projects.

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