Our society is continuously, and often unknowingly, exposed to a low-level mixture of harmful chemicals – a problem that remains both underestimated and largely unaddressed. This policy briefing highlights the clear health and economic consequences of the European Union’s (EU) lax toxic-chemical policies, and proposes that these be strengthened in the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA).
The CEA would thus serve as a guiding compass to drive resilient economies and strategic use of the EU’s resources, while ensuring a safe and toxic-free transition for workers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and citizens. A CEA with stringent toxic-chemical policies would allow the EU to harness circularity and competitiveness to better protect its citizens, and prevent a future public health crisis.
Available in English.
In a Reloop-coordinated joint call to European Commission Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné and Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, 112 entities urge the European Commission not to reopen the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as part of the upcoming Environmental Simplification Package expected in December 2025.
The PPWR is a cornerstone of the European circular economy. It establishes the necessary, comprehensive framework that enables truly reusable and recyclable packaging across the Single Market by 2030. Maintaining the integrity of the existing Regulation is essential to delivering on Europe’s strategic goals, including the Clean Industrial Deal’s target to double the circular material use rate to 24% by 2030. This ambition is wholly dependent on market stability and predictable legislation.
Available in English.
Together with DUH, ECOS and EEB, Zero Waste Europe supports strong and horizontal EU rules on recycled content in critical raw materials (CRM) as part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), as well as for other materials—i.e. ferrous metals, cobalt, other plastics streams, etc.—with high traceability requirements.
Available in English.
The EU Bioeconomy Strategy must avoid promoting material substitution for its own sake. Simply replacing fossil-based materials with bio-based alternatives does not guarantee sustainability. What matters is reducing overall material and resource consumption within planetary boundaries. Bio-based materials must not serve as a smokescreen for increased production and consumption.
Zero Waste Europe sets out its recommendations for the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, urging policymakers to prioritise resource sufficiency, genuine circularity, and chemical safety, warning that bio-based materials are not automatically sustainable, circular, or safe substitutes for fossil-based ones.