Plastics strategy
Fixing plastic collection seen as vital to success of chemical recycling
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.
Pressure mounts on EU member states to meet plastic recycling goals
Pressure is increasing on member states to recycle 77% of plastic bottles by 2025 and reduce waste.
Germany to ban plastic straws by mid-2021
German lawmakers approved legislation Thursday (17 September) banning disposable plastic products such as straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are polluting the world's oceans.
Oil industry placing risky bet on plastics, report says
Big oil producers are pinning their future growth on the world's insatiable appetite for plastic, researchers said Friday (4 September), in a "bet" on society's failure to tackle disposable consumption that risks stranding billions of dollars in petrochemical investments.
EU microplastics ban needs to aim smaller, advisers say
A draft EU ban on microplastics would allow industry to use even smaller particles in cosmetics, detergents and paints, which could be more damaging than the tiny pieces of plastic already clogging up the natural world, campaigners and some EU advisers say.
Chemical recycling ‘promising’ for circular economy, EU official says
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.
Economic meltdown threatens Europe’s war on plastic
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.
Sinkevicius: COVID-19 cannot be an excuse to curb EU’s green ambition
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.
EU dismisses industry calls to lift ban on single-use plastics
Deadlines have to be respected, says the European Commission in response to calls by industry to lift an EU-wide ban on some single-use plastic items because of health and hygiene concerns raised during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Europe must resist attempts to weaken single-use plastics laws
The EU's recently agreed laws to tackle the most polluting single-use plastics are in danger of being watered down by industry players, writes Delphine Lévi Alvarès.
LEAK: EU’s new circular economy plan aims to halve waste by 2030
The European Commission will aim to “absolutely decouple” economic growth from natural resource use in a draft circular economy action plan due to be unveiled in March.
Germans push back against green alternatives to artificial football pitches
The EU is considering new curbs on microplastics, a decision which could also affect the synthetic turfs of countless football pitches in Germany. Yet, replacing all surfaces by real grass, although more environmentally-friendly, is hardly feasible. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Plastic waste and recycling: France among EU’s ‘poor performers’
While the EU's plastic recycling rate has seen a slight increase of 1.4% between 2016 and 2018 amounting to 32.5% total according to Plastics Europe, France has been dragging the average down with a 24.2% recycling rate in 2018. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'Environnement reports.
Banning single-use plastics in France by 2040 is far too late, environmentalists say
The French National Assembly has voted to ban all disposable plastics by... 2040, which would be far too late for many environmental advocates. EURACTIV France reports.
Boosting circular economy requires joint effort, experts warn
If Europe wants to transition towards a circular economy model, the practices have to be mainstreamed and all actors should be involved in the process, experts warned during an event hosted by EURACTIV.
Italy’s plastic tax proposal angers ‘packaging valley’ before crucial regional vote
The government is open to rediscuss a proposed tax on single-use plastics, out of concern for the country's world-leading packaging sector based in Emilia-Romagna where regional elections are scheduled in January.
Nepal to ban single-use plastics from Everest by 2020
The Nepalese government has introduced a ban on single-use plastic on Mount Everest from January 2020 in an attempt to cut down on the trash left by mountaineers in what has turned into the world's highest landfill.
‘Broad support’ for EU-wide plastic tax
A European tax on plastic waste is gaining momentum as a way to bring new sources of revenue to the EU budget as leaders prepare for a two-day summit in Brussels beginning on Thursday (17 October).
Circling round
The European Commission should impose more stringent measures on producers to protect the environment and consumers. Making producers responsible for their products throughout their whole life cycle benefits us all, writes Oliver Loebel.
Lyon football club attempts to reconcile sport with environment
Olympique Lyonnais' newly-built OL City complex has been designed to be more environmentally friendly, though it initially attracted criticism for requiring a longer commute. EURACTIV France reports.
Fans back call for phasing out single-use plastics from UK stadiums
A survey conducted by YouGov shows football fans support for environmental NGOs' call to clubs in the UK top four divisions to eliminate single-use plastics from their stadiums.
First ‘millennial’ Commissioner to address challenges for Generation Z
Putting the youngest ever Commissioner-designate in charge of managing the most fearful threats for future generations of Europeans, such as environment protection and oceans' conservation, is the biggest gamble Ursula von der Leyen took in composing her team.
WHO says microplastics in water not a health risk, more research needed
Plastic pollutant nanoparticles in both tap and bottled water do not pose an apparent health hazard, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report. However, the UN body acknowledges more research and evidence is needed.