Two billion people worldwide do not have access to proper waste collection services, leading to ever-growing plastic pollution in oceans and waterways, particularly in the global south.
The European Union “cannot achieve” climate neutrality without critical raw materials like lithium and rare earths, says Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič. It now needs to be “much more strategic” in relations with supplier countries in order to ensure the bloc's “strategic autonomy,” he argues.
The European Commission will publish a strategy on Wednesday (14 October) on zero pollution in the chemicals industry, but any white paper will have to walk the same, precarious tightrope as its predecessors.
The nonwovens sector is planning to inject more sustainability into its mix, with issues like new EU rules, a greater focus on recycling and the coronavirus pandemic all set to influence the future of the industry.
Chances are you have never heard of nonwovens before, but you are surrounded by them at this very moment; in the seat underneath you, the suit you’re wearing, as part of the insulation or roofing of your home or workplace,...
When the flu pandemic hit Europe and disrupted global supply chains this year, the EU came to a sobering realisation – it cannot continue relying solely on imports for raw materials like lithium and rare earths which are critical for the bloc’s digital and green industries.
The European Commission launched a new industry alliance on Tuesday (30 September) aimed at strengthening the EU’s “strategic autonomy” on raw materials like rare earths, which are considered key for the bloc’s green and digital transitions.
The colour of garbage bags could soon be harmonised across the 27 EU member states under European Commission plans to improve waste collection and boost recycling.
The term “chemical recycling” should only be used for plastic waste reconverted into new plastics. If those plastics are transformed into fuels or petrochemical products, the process should be called “recovery” instead, write Shanar Tabrizi and Fanny Rateau.
Europe's chemical industry needs to embrace circular thinking and urgently address concerns about substances getting into the environment or risk being crushed by regulators, writes Tom Parker.
EU member states need to integrate resilience into their national recovery plans in order to be eligible for recovery support, write Joke Dufourment, Natalia Papu and Yasmina Lembachar.
A coalition of businesses including Signify, Glencore and Fairphone have launched a joint initiative to improve the economic, working and social conditions of those working in the cobalt supply chain. EURACTIV's media partner, edie.net, reports.
While chemical recycling opens new possibilities for the circular economy, only a full lifecycle approach will be able to determine the real environmental benefits in terms of saved energy and global warming emissions, a senior EU official has said.
The UK is to get its first commercial refinery for extracting precious metals from electronic waste, which will also be the world’s first to use bacteria rather than cyanide-based processes.
Giving a new life to plastic trash gets Carlos Bento out of bed every morning. But the coronavirus pandemic has seen revenues drop up to 40% at Micronipol, the large recycling facility he runs in central Portugal, and it faces an uncertain future.
Participants at a virtual conference called “Re-starting the EU economy - How can industry contribute to a resilient and sustainable industry?" agreed on one point: the key is to keep the market open, but with new inputs.
European food retailers need to widen the scope of their greenhouse gas reporting in order to account for emissions resulting from food waste across their supply chains, writes Matthew McLuckie.
Member states cannot use the COVID-crisis as an excuse to weaken the EU's environmentral and health protection efforts, European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV Italy in an exclusive interview.
Europe’s “green recovery” will be based on industrial leadership in the production of computers, batteries, electric vehicles, and wind turbines, writes Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou.
The EU recovery fund can be used to unlock an estimated €1.8 trillion opportunity by 2030 by making better use of materials and reducing waste, write Patrick Schröder and David McGinty.
Portugal, which usually attracts huge mounds of rubbish from other European states because of its low waste management fees, has suspended imports of trash until the end of 2020 to protect domestic landfill capacity, the government said on Saturday (16 May).
The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) presented on Thursday (14 May) its report on the state of the country's environmental policy. With Germany's carbon budget now almost exhausted, researchers urge stronger climate action in all areas. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Masks, gloves, and other contaminated garbage from hospitals and households, which have been piling up by the thousands of tons as Spain battled through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have undermined recycling chains and overwhelmed processing plants.
The common goal of Spain’s circular economy implemented both at city and countryside level is to reuse waste, yet local agri-food companies and organisations are aware that this model needs to be adopted gradually in the sector. EURACTIV's partner Efe Agro reports.
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