Despite increased attention being paid to the sustainability and principles of circular economy in the European Union, there is a general lack of holistic and harmonised legislative approaches towards materials’ circularity and the critical aspects of their chemical safety. A more coherent EU policy on consumer safety issues is not only highly desirable, but human biomonitoring data on harmful chemicals detected in the entire EU population show that it is urgently needed.
This ZWE policy briefing lays out proof and tried-and-test arguments towards toxic-free and future-proof packaging.
Executive Summary available in English and French.
Full briefing available in English.
Based on the findings of the ZWE-Searious Business study ‘The economics of reuse systems‘, ZWE has formulated policy recommendations for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), highlighting how to ensure the regulation delivers an optimal reuse system performance for packaging, including the economic viability critical for success. Those are explored within 3 key measures: minimum performance requirements, economic incentives, and legal certainty that allows for economies at scale.
By incorporating these recommendations into the PPWR, policymakers can ensure that reuse delivers on its promises.
Available in English, Estonian, French, Latvian, Croatian, Polish, and Hungarian.
After elimination, the widespread uptake of reusable packaging has the highest potential to reduce plastic production. This view is sustained by a recent shift in legislative focus in the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the United Nation’s Global Plastic Treaty to end plastic pollution. However, several brands and industry associations have been hesitant to wholeheartedly embrace reusable packaging.
The study by Searious Business and Zero Waste Europe examines 3 packaging categories in an open loop system (so not within one location), in Spain as an archetype country: 1) food containers for takeaway food, 2) secondary transport packaging and 3) beverage bottles. The results show that reuse packaging will only become even more economically viable in the next few years and providing faster return on investments.
Executive summary available in English, Estonian, Montenegrin, Ukrainian, and Polish.
Full report available in English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian.
Single-use glass is proven to have the highest overall environmental footprint compared to other single-use materials. On the other hand, reusable glass offers the greatest potential to reduce environmental impacts: reusable glass bottles produce 85% fewer carbon emissions than their single-use counterparts, 75% fewer carbon emissions than plastic (PET), and 57% fewer carbon emissions than aluminium cans.
Taking into account the findings of the ZWE-Eunomia ‘Decarbonisation of single-use beverage packaging’ study, ZWE and Reloop urge the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation to set the path for single-use glass to be replaced with reusable glass in the coming years.
Available in English, Polish, and Croatian.
Commissioned to Eunomia Research & Consulting by Zero Waste Europe, this study builds upon Eunomia’s previous investigation into materials decarbonisation pathways in the report “Is Net Zero Enough for the Material Production Sector?”.
Focussing on the four materials with the greatest emissions globally, the study found that each will have great difficulty in reducing GHG emissions in line with a 1.5°C future by 2050, particularly if mass consumption continues and increases. Whilst studying the global material picture provides valuable insights; policymakers may find it more useful to have the same approach applied at the product level. Therefore, this study delves into the Net Zero pathways of aluminium, PET, and glass when utilised in beverage packaging within the EU, evaluating their potential performance within a cumulative GHG emissions budget that aligns with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Full report available in English. Executive summary available in English, French, and Latvian.
In an open letter, the Rethink Plastic alliance and a coalition of 79 organisations (including Zero Waste Europe) consisting of civil society organisations and businesses advocate for the integration of well-designed reuse systems as a catalyst for preventing packaging waste in the revision of the EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Available in English.
When it comes to packaging for food and beverages, misconceptions about its relation to food hygiene, health concerns, and food waste have been spread by the interested industry for some time. Those concerns were raised especially in the current debate on the revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). As such, this factsheet aims to bust some of the most common myths.
Available in English, Estonian, French, Hungarian, Montenegrin, Latvian, and Slovenian.
Zero Waste Europe welcomes the overall ambition of the European Commission to encourage the prevention and reuse of waste for the first time for a wide range of packaging types, in line with the waste hierarchy. Although the proposal is going in the right direction by prioritising prevention and reuse of packaging, it needs to be more ambitious if the European Commission is willing to achieve the EU Green Deal goals.
Available in English.
Zero Waste Europe joined AVICENN and 15 other organisations in a joint letter to demand increased knowledge, transparency, and vigilance on nanomaterials on everyday products.
Available in English.
For every ultra-fast fashion model, there is a sustainable one waiting to break the system. We can make them norm by supporting zero waste fashion business models.
Our infographic shows the full process and benefits of a zero waste fashion business model, as well as the major differences when compared to a linear model.
This material is complementary to Zero Waste Europe’s “Beyond circular fashion – a new business model for the fashion industry” report, published in January 2023.
Available in English, Croatian, Estonian, French, Montenegrin, Spanish and Italian.
In the context of the EU Textiles Strategy, Zero Waste Europe’s “Beyond circular fashion” report shows how existing approaches and initiatives to make fashion fair and sustainable, while an important step forward, are insufficient in addressing harmful business models that rely on overproduction and overconsumption.
To comply with planetary boundaries, the report identifies 4 essential criteria that must be met simultaneously to qualify a fashion business as zero waste.
Executive summary available in English, French, and Croatian.
Full report in English.
Zero Waste Europe has been working on policies and measures targeting plastic pollution since the early 2000s, has done extensive research, movement building, and policy advocacy, and has implemented zero waste solutions since then.
This document contains our submission to the second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
Available in English.
Zero Waste Europe strongly supports a restriction on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC additives, and welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to ECHA Call for evidence.
Available in English.
The European project as we know it is running out of steam and it is not capable of delivering on its objectives of peace, prosperity, and equality.
In order to stay within the commitment of 1.5°C degrees warming, the broken paradigm based on economic growth should be replaced with a new one. Our Manifesto calls on the need for building a new European project based on wellbeing, sufficiency, and resilience.
In November 2020, Austria became the first European country to introduce binding targets for refillable beverage packaging. Within a new national waste management law, binding quotas were set for the proportion of reusable packaging sold in retail, starting with a requirement of 25% in 2025 to at least 30% by 2030.
On the occasion of the European Week of Waste Reduction 2023, our factsheet takes a closer look at Austria’s inspiring work on refillable beverage packaging.
Available in English.
EU law stipulates that the member states shall set up a separate collection for textiles by January 2025. Finland is leading the way and passed a law in 2021 that requires municipalities to separately collect textiles already from January 2023.
On the occasion of the European Week of Waste Reduction 2023, our factsheet takes a closer look at Finland’s leading work on textile waste.
Available in English, Portuguese and Hungarian.
When considering the urgency of reducing GHG emissions there is a possibility that, despite the aims of the net zero pathways, the cumulative carbon emissions budget will be exceeded. This is due to the risks associated with deploying unproven technologies in some sectors.
This report by Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia allocated a risk factor associated with each intervention and quantified how this influences the likelihood of overshooting the remaining carbon budget. It also attempted to determine whether the overshoot can be reduced by accelerating the adoption model deployed for technological interventions.
Report available in English. Executive Summary available in English, Croatian, and French.
‘Safety’ and ‘sustainability’ concepts are directly interlinked: in order for food packaging to be truly sustainable, it needs to be safe for both human and environmental health. Within this briefing we aim to provide businesses with a better understanding of the issues linked to hazardous chemicals in food contact materials and highlight the opportunity for businesses to adopt circular economy practices using non-toxic and reusable materials that protects human health.
Full report available in English. Executive summary available in English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German.