About: Circular Economy Package
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.
Why the EU’s renewable energy proposal subverts the circular economy
To date, the Renewable Energy Directive has been a key obstacle to achieving waste policy objectives. If the EU is serious about the transition towards a circular economy, it is crucial that incentive schemes for renewables encourage separate collection and recycling, writes Janek Vahk.
Chinese waste ban ‘wake-up call’ for European recycling
The EU has a trash problem. It used to ship 60% of plastics and 13% of paper collected for recycling to China, but Beijing has decided to curb its appetite for foreign waste.
Europe must look beyond the Circular Economy Package
The EU’s Circular Economy Package is delivering some important progress on supporting business resource efficiency. But the circular economy will need to remain top of the agenda for many years to come if the EU is to see a step change in resource productivity, argues Nick Molho.
China is no longer the EU’s plastic dumping ground: What’s next?
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? With EU production of plastic waste showing no sign of slowing down and China – the world’s biggest importer of plastic waste – set to ban imports, we’re about to find out, argues Meadhbh Bolger.
Recyclers claim EU carbon quotas from saved energy, CO2 emissions
French recyclers were in Brussels last week with a big ask – EU regulators must reward the whole recycling value chain for preventing emissions of global warming gases, they claimed, a message received with caution by the European Commission, which points to a lack of data.
Recycling industry and circular economy – Up to the challenge
In December 2015, the European Commission presented a new Circular Economy Package that will impact a wide range of sectors, especially the recycling sector. This package has set various targets in terms of recycling but also has introduced life cycle thinking and measurement tools such as PEF (currently in its pilot phase).