Circular materials
Stop exporting plastic waste out of Europe, EU lawmakers say
Thirty-one lawmakers in the European Parliament have signed a manifesto calling for the end of plastic waste exports outside Europe and the facilitation of intra-EU shipment procedures to promote a genuine circular economy within the EU.
EU seeks ‘reliable’ method to measure microplastic pollution from tyres
An EU regulation on tyre labelling due to come into force on 1 May will not cover the rate at which tyres shed particles – a major contributor to microplastics in Europe – as an agreed method for the calculation of abrasion is still not in place.
Tyre industry and environmentalists lock horns over potential rubber infill ban
Green campaigners have warned that failure by the EU to designate rubber infill derived from tyres as a banned microplastic will lead to significant environmental harm – a claim the tyre and recycling industries strongly reject.
A circular economy for textiles to design out waste and pollution
Europe has an opportunity to use the textiles strategy, due to be published this year, to build on its history of textile manufacturing and switch to a more sustainable industry, benefitting citizens and the environment, writes Valérie Boiten.
Recover today, lead for 2030: A future-fit industrial strategy for Europe
The current political debate on industrial policy lacks an honest acknowledgement of how much is already decided – from EU recovery budgets to the 2030 climate targets, write Sandrine Dixson-Declève and Janez Potočnik. Sandrine Dixson-Declève is the president of The...
EU should review approval of plastics with toxic softener DEHP – top court adviser
The European Commission should review a decision to let companies use recycled plastics containing DEHP, a toxic additive, since it failed to properly consider associated health risks, an adviser to the EU's top court said on Thursday (25 February).
Soft drinks industry aims for 100% recycled or renewable plastic by 2030
European soft drink makers unveiled their new vision for 2030 on Monday (22 February), announcing plans to reach 100% recycled or renewable materials in plastic bottles by the end of the decade.
French government presents roadmap to bridge digital and environmental transitions
France's Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili and the Secretary of State for Digital, Cédric O, unveiled on Tuesday (23 February) the government's national strategy to bring environmental and digital issues together. EURACTIV France was able to see the document before publication.
Lawmakers back mandatory targets in EU circular economy action plan
Lawmakers in the European Parliament adopted a set of ambitious proposals on the EU’s circular economy action plan on Tuesday (9 February), including calls to introduce mandatory targets to reduce waste.
French MPs recommend more use of washable masks as pollution concerns rise
Faced with the boom of single-use masks in France, the country's National Assembly set up a "flash mission" on the topic and concluded that the wearing of washable facemasks should be recommended to the public. EURACTIV France reports.
Circular economy can cut CO2 emissions by 39%: study
Switching to a circular economy could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 39% and ease pressure on virgin materials by 28%, according to the Circularity Gap Report, published on Tuesday (26 January).
EU lawmakers call for targets to reduce raw material use
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee will call for legally-binding targets to reduce raw material use in a report due to be voted on this week.
From Europe to Central Asia, converted containers are trendy
Pop-up stores and restaurants using converted shipping containers are a growing trend in Europe and across the world, apparently boosted by behavioural changes caused by the Covid pandemic. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
France sees incredible boom in sports recycling centres
Sports recycling centres have only appeared across France in the past few years, aiming to recycle sports equipment and work towards zero waste in sports. Although fairly recent, they have seen incredible growth, expected to continue in 2021. EURACTIV France reports.
Recyclers fret as EU plastic waste export ban comes into force
New EU rules came into force on 1 January, prohibiting the shipment of unsorted plastic waste to foreign countries. Although the move will increase pressure on Europe to recycle, activists say the ban is likely to increase landfilling and waste burning inside the Union.
Product design policy will be key to circular economy, EU says
As the European Union seeks to transition to a ‘circular economy’, the policy focus in 2021 will turn to products: how they are designed, and why so many seem to be made to throw away.
Parliament seals historic first citizen-led EU law on tap water
The European Parliament gave the final go-ahead to revised rules on Tuesday (15 December) that seek to update water quality parameters, in a bid to restore citizens’ trust in what comes out of the tap.OpinionPromoted content
The goal is clear, let’s discuss the how
Moving to a sustainable and circular economy is the goal of decision makers, civil society and forward-looking companies like Covestro, but how do we get there? Here, Lynette Chung, Chief Sustainability Officer at Covestro, discusses what sustainability means to the...![Plastic ready to be recycled in the yard of a company specialising in ecological treatments. [Moreno Soppelsa/Shutterstock].](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/05/shutterstock-101127223.jpeg)
Plastic waste: what’s new is old
Companies doing business in Europe may soon have to ensure their packaging contains a minimum amount of recycled plastic. But getting their hands on quality recycled materials in sufficient quantity is currently difficult.
EU seeks competitive edge from green batteries
Electric car and industrial batteries sold in Europe will soon face legally binding environmental standards, the European Commission said on Thursday (10 December), as it seeks to give local producers an edge in a rapidly growing global market.
Blue, yellow or white? Recycling varies widely in the EU
Deposit return and extended producer responsibility schemes are everywhere in the EU but have very different rules. Does this present a barrier to meeting the EU’s recycling objectives?
Jan Huitema MEP: EU must tackle price gap between secondary and virgin plastics
Jan Huitema, who is in charge of guiding the circular economy strategy through the European Parliament, says his report will include requirements for products to contain a minimum amount of recycled material.
Chemical recycling should be seen as a last resort, EU official says
Chemical recycling should be seen as a last resort option to deal with growing amounts of plastic waste while more research is needed to reduce its energy consumption, a senior EU official has said.
Plastic waste: how to square the circle
The EU’s circular economy plan aims to halve municipal waste in the next decade by increasing recycling rates. Can companies boost the use of recycled plastics in time to meet the target?
