Topics
recycling
February 1, 2021
Friends of Europe hosts online debate bringing together stakeholder groups from industry, regulatory agencies, and NGOs; considers how to achieve a circular plastics economy, discusses the necessity of a global plastic treaty, prevention of plastic waste trade and illegal waste dumping, extended producer responsibility schemes (EPRs), need for unified EU plastic waste market; discussions build on report by European Environment Agency, case study by Zero Waste Europe and report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Reading time: 5 minutes
February 1, 2021
Canada most recent country to launch a plastics pact within the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s global initiative; aims to by 2025 achieve 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging, 50% effective recycle or compost rate, minimum 30% recycled content
Reading time: 1 minute
January 29, 2021
European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes report on plastics, their impact on the environment and climate, and their place in an EU circular economy; three joint pathways for achieving necessary change identified based on smarter use, increased circularity, and renewable raw material
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 26, 2021
The Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement (Forum) launches 9th REACH enforcement project (REF-9) and pilot project; examines if SVHCs placed on the market have been authorized, checks practice if registration exception for substances recovered from wastes is compliant under REACH, results are to be expected by 2022.
Reading time: 1 minute
January 19, 2021
Plastic Soup Foundation launches “Plastic Health” web series discussing latest scientific evidence; announces publication of expert opinions, interviews on hazards of microplastics, nanoplastics, and additives
Reading time: 1 minute
January 12, 2021
EU Horizon 2020 Project REFUCOAT develops three packaging materials to reduce plastic waste and food loss, uses bacteriophage-based coating to reduce Salmonella proliferation in chicken breast, more efficient synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyglycolide (PGA)
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 11, 2021
New US law provides annual funding for waste and recycling management, anti-littering campaigns, new Marine Debris Foundation, innovation prize; supported by chemical and plastics manufactures as needed infrastructure investment, criticized by civil society organizations as not addressing excessive plastic production as root problem
Reading time: 1 minute
January 8, 2021
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) estimates recycling of beverage cartons for Germany, Spain, Sweden, and UK; uses EU’s updated recycling calculation methodology, finds results lower than reported previously by Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) ; ZWE recommends investment in reuse and recycling infrastructure, effective collection and sorting systems, widely recognized recyclability label
Topics: beverage carton, recycling
Reading time: 1 minute
January 8, 2021
Europäischer Wirtschaftsdienst (EUWID) reports aluminum can recycling increases 2% in Europe compared to 2018, reaches 76% corresponding to 457 000 tonnes; highest recycling rate reported for Germany (99%)
Reading time: 1 minute
January 5, 2021
European Commission adopts new regulation banning export of hazardous and hard to recycle plastic waste to non-OECD countries from January 1, 2021; clean and recyclable plastic exports to only be approved under strict conditions; prior informed consent required for all intra-EU shipments
Reading time: 2 minutes
