About: Circular Economy Package
Expert: EU needs a 90% collection target for beverage cartons to boost recycling
The European Commission should introduce a collection target for beverage cartons to ensure they are properly collected and sorted and boost recycling in the sector, according to Dragos Popa.
‘Flexible packaging’ – a test case for the EU’s recycling push
Lightweight soft packaging such as crisp packets or wrapping for chocolate bars are giving headaches to European recyclers who currently have little incentive to buy the collected material. The European Commission will seek to address this in July with its planned revision of the EU’s packaging and packaging waste directive.
Beverage cartons will only use recycled or renewable materials by 2030, industry says
Beverage carton producers have pledged to make cartons from 100% renewable and recycled material and cut down on their plastic consumption by 2030 to increase their sustainability and help meet global climate goals.OpinionPromoted content
The Virtuous Circle: Why Permanence and Recycling are Vital for a New EU Economy
A circle isn’t just a shape. It is a symbol of continuity – of permanence. The European Commission has proposed creating a new circular economy, to boost sustainability and reduce pressure on natural resources. It is now time for EU...
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.
EU recovery fund is a chance to accelerate the circular economy
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.
Last year the EU slashed single-use plastics. Now it needs to do the same for all other resources
Last year the EU passed ambitious new laws to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics. That same thinking now needs to be applied to the economy as a whole, argues Meadhbh Bolger, saying Europe can get started by setting targets in its upcoming Circular Economy Action Plan.
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.
Sinkevicius: EU aims to ensure viable food packaging recycling by 2030
The Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) have the same overarching objective of reducing unsustainable resource use by promoting sustainable production and consumption and reducing waste generation, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.
Circular economy must remain a priority for Europe beyond the 2019 elections
The Circular Economy Package and Plastics Strategy have set a high-level framework to improve the resource efficiency of the European economy. But to be effective, this framework must remain a policy priority for the next European Commission and Parliament, writes Nick Molho.
Recycling metal packaging
New EU-wide recycling targets, adopted last year, will have a significant influence on the way people recycle things like beverage cans. EURACTIV looks at how difficult it will be to meet the new targets.
How the EU’s Cohesion Fund can support the circular economy
The EU’s next Cohesion Fund for regional development should prioritise investments into waste management systems focused on prevention, re-use, separate collection and recycling – not on incineration, argues Janek Vahk.
Time for an eco-design revolution on carpets and mattresses
A lot more must be done to incentivise everyday product recyclability, writes Ward Mosmuller. Bulky products that are not recycled today – like carpets, mattresses and furniture – would be a good place to start, he argues.
The ‘cadmium war’: EU in the midst of a geopolitical arm-wrestle
The level of cadmium in fertiliser production has triggered an intense debate in the EU as analysts fear the bloc could end up entirely dependent on Russia, with dangerous effects for the EU and its farmers.
French councillor pushes Commission to act on food waste
Arash Derambarsh, French councillor for Courbevoie known for his campaigns against food waste, is calling for a European directive on the subject before the May 2019 elections.
EU official: ‘Growing consensus’ for fresh plastic recycling laws
The European Commission is looking at targets for recycled plastics into new products as a way to boost demand for secondary raw materials, according to a senior EU official involved in drafting upcoming laws on recycling.
Closing loops for a circular economy
After marathon talks, negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states reached agreement last December on a package of waste legislation, which sets new targets for recycling. But although the ink has not yet dried on the deal, the European Commission is already preparing a revision of the laws.
France pushes for product ‘lifetime’ labelling
In a first draft roadmap on circular economy, the French government is thinking about supporting a voluntary product “life” label. But such an idea could only become mandatory at European level. EURACTIV.fr reports.
The future of packaging: It’s all about recyclability
The plastics industry is changing fast, and the way our food and products are packaged could look totally different in just a few years.
A plan for plastics
The EU is losing 95% of the value of the plastics it produces. But the European Commission has a strategy to make plastic packaging more sustainable, both environmentally and economically.
Circular economy? Not without the internal market!
Without oversight, the implementation of the circular economy package entails a huge risk of Member States going into different directions and introducing barriers to the internal market, warns Virginia Janssens.
Life in plastic: Is it fantastic?
Plastic has become increasingly unpopular with the public. But life without it might look very different.
Durand: The debate on programmed obsolescence is not happening in the EU
France is breaking new ground with preliminary investigations into programmed obsolescence by Apple and Epson. But at a European level, the debate on product life-cycles is not taking place, Pascal Durand said in an interview with EURACTIV France.