Open letter: Textile Emergency Action Plan needed quickly

In this open letter, RREUSE, ACR+, and ZWE call on EU and national policymakers to take urgent action to prevent the collapse of the used textile value chain. In less than two months, separate textile waste collection will become mandatory in the EU. This new requirement will place additional pressure on the sector, which has already been struggling with the market saturation created by the fast fashion industry and the increase in operational costs.

This looming crisis threatens to derail the EU’s circular economy goals, with devastating consequences for the environment, jobs, and social enterprises that play a vital role in textile reuse and recycling.

The co-signatories call on the EU Commission and national governments to unblock emergency transitional funding mechanisms to ensure the sector’s survival during the period between the beginning of the separate collection and the entry into force of the EPR.

Available in English.

For an ambitious EU mandate embracing a holistic vision on circular economy – joint open letter to MEPs

In this open letter to Members of the European Parliament ahead of the hearings of EU Commissioner-designate candidates, a group of NGOs, EU organisations, and sustainable businesses calls out for stronger circular economy policies in Europe.

With the EU’s Circular Material Use Rate showing minimal improvement over the past decade, the letter asks for rigorous questioning of EU Commissioner-designate candidates on twelve critical areas, including binding resource reduction targets, improved Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks, a healthy circular economy, and circular taxation systems.

Available in English.

European Reuse Barometer (first edition)

This first edition of the European Reuse Barometer reveals a rapidly growing reuse industry in Europe, highlighting significant advancements in reusable packaging solutions across sectors such as takeaway, retail, and e-commerce. Key findings indicate that the industry is buoyed by engaged consumers, with 78% of solutions reporting return rates above 75%, showcasing strong consumer commitment. However, the report emphasises the need for legislative support and financial investment to sustain this growth and overcome challenges such as high operational costs and competitive pricing with single-use packaging.

Despite the promising growth, the report underscores the urgent need for streamlined and unified efforts to enhance the reuse ecosystem. Recommendations include increasing consumer engagement through awareness campaigns and restrictive single-use packaging policies, setting ambitious policy frameworks to incentivise reuse, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to build shared infrastructure. By addressing these critical areas, the European Reuse Barometer aims to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and economically viable reuse system across Europe.

Report available in English.

Keeping the promise: Why the Just Transition Fund must be maintained in the next EU budget

This joint statement on the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a crucial to furthering EU financial instruments aimed at ensuring that no region or community is left behind as the EU transitions towards climate neutrality. With a focus on the socio-economic impacts of this transformation, particularly in coal-reliant regions, the JTF has proven essential in fostering long-term economic diversification and decarbonisation. As the EU prepares its Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, it is vital that decision-makers extend the JTF to maintain momentum in these regions. The continuation of this dedicated fund will enable vulnerable areas to build on their progress, helping to ensure that the green transition is both just and inclusive​.

Available in English.

Facilitating the adoption of takeaway reuse systems

This report highlights the critical role of public authorities in advancing reuse systems for takeaway packaging. The report, developed in partnership with Eunomia Research & Consulting, shows that switching from single-use to reuse could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower hidden costs like litter and carbon impacts. Case studies in Aarhus and Berlin reveal that small vendors may save on costs, while large businesses could face initial higher expenses. To level the playing field and unlock the full potential of reuse, the report calls for strong policy interventions such as levies, reuse targets, and bans on single-use packaging.

Full report available in English.

Executive Summary available in French, Portuguese, Croatian, and Dutch.

Incineration in the EU emission trading system: a set of suggestions for its inclusion

This report developed by Equnimator urges for the immediate and comprehensive inclusion of municipal waste incineration in the EU’s emission trading system (ETS). It emphasises the critical need to include both electricity and heat incineration, along with biogenic CO2, in the ETS. This move is seen as essential for the EU to meet its climate goals and ensure that all sectors contribute fairly to emission reductions.

The report follows the European Parliament’s 2022 ETS reforms, which opened the possibility of including municipal waste incineration within its scope. Despite this, as of January 2024, these facilities are only required to monitor, report, and verify their emissions without the need to surrender allowances. Zero Waste Europe calls for the European Commission to study the feasibility of full inclusion by July 2026, with a potential implementation by 2028.

Available in English.

Analysis of the separate collection rate of plastic beverage bottles up to three litres in Spain

A significant discrepancy has been uncovered in Spain’s plastic bottle recycling data, revealing that the actual separate collection rate is a mere 36%, far below the 71% claimed by Ecoembes and the 70% target mandated by Spanish law for 2023. This alarming revelation comes from a detailed report by Eunomia, commissioned by Zero Waste Europe and the Spanish Zero Waste Alliance (Alianza Residuo Cero), highlighting the urgent need for a Deposit Return System (DRS) to meet legal recycling targets and address data transparency issues.

This report points to significant flaws in current data collection and reporting methods. Stakeholders, including Zero Waste Europe and the Zero Waste Alliance, are now pressing the Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, to acknowledge the non-compliance and implement a DRS. Such systems, already effective in over 50 regions globally, could ensure the recycling of up to 90% of beverage containers, positioning Spain back on track to meet its environmental commitments.

Available in English and Spanish.

What’s inside food-contact paper packaging? Plastic.

After the well-deserved spotlight given to single-use plastics when it comes to their serious environmental impacts, single-use paper-based and cardboard packaging have covertly taken their space, supposedly as a more ‘sustainable alternative’. The associated narrative has, however, created room for doubts (both from consumers and policy-makers) and for misleading solutions But is switching from one single-use material to another (e.g. plastic to paper) really a solution for the ever-growing packaging waste crisis? While the paper and cardboard industry claims so, evidence has proven that these allegations are distorted and false.

This joint factsheet by Zero Waste Europe, #breakfreefromplastic, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), the Environmental Paper Network (EPN), Recycling Netwerk Benelux (RNB), and the Rethink Plastic alliance explores the material aspects of paper and cardboard packaging used for direct food contact applications – including, among others, the findings from the “Functionalisation of Paper and Cardboard” report by M.+Me Recyclage.

Available in English, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovenian, German, Montenegrin, and Croatian.

The story of Calatafimi Segesta

The Sicilian municipality of Calatafimi Segesta may be small, but it provides one of Europe’s leading examples of how an island municipality can implement an effective zero waste strategy whilst also focusing on improving the lives of the local community. Despite receiving high-levels of tourism each year and having a dense, historic area in its centre, Calatafimi Segesta still achieved a 85% separate collection rate and generated just 88kgs of residual waste per person in 2022.

The municipality achieved these impressive results through a process of implementing a zero waste strategy at its core, with a focus on door-to-door collection of materials and the prioritisation of capturing organics, with supplementary incentives offered to residents who home composted. The decision not to build or extend local incineration capacity has allowed the municipality to implement ambitious policies that have delivered results.

Since its political commitment to become a Zero Waste City in 2011, the municipality has doubled the amount of materials separately collected for recycling and reuse. In this same timespan, they have reduced the volume of residual waste by two-thirds.

Available in English, Italian, Croatian, and Estonian.

Feedback on the EU Packaging Regulation revision

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.

The story of reWINE

In the wine industry, single-use glass is heavily used for packaging. On the one hand, glass has the greatest environmental impacts compared to other packaging materials (i.e. PET, aluminium, and beverage carton). On the other hand, glass is 100% reusable and 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle, and is an inert material, which makes it more suitable as a food contact material.

The reWINE project proves that a circular and more sustainable way of consuming wine is possible.

Let’s start the tasting tour!

Available in Catalan, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Spanish.

Putting second-hand first to create local jobs

Zero Waste Europe, together with RREUSE, created a short briefing, aimed at providing support to local municipalities to help design effective and ambitious local reuse strategies. 

The guidance outlines the key principles that every reuse strategy should prioritise, the benefits these strategies can bring for a municipality and highlights examples of how similar policies have been successfully implemented throughout Europe.

The Story of Unverpackt

The Story of Unverpackt is the sixth chapter of the Zero Waste Europe Consumption & Production Case Studies series aimed at promoting zero waste business models.

Since opening in February 2014, Germany’s first packaging-free store Unverpackt in Kiel, has been pursuing a drastic reduction of packaging waste while motivating customers to rethink their consumer behavior. More than 100 stores in Germany are already following this example, the zero waste retail movement has only just begun.

Available in English and German.

The story of Phenix

In 5 years, Phenix saved 30.000 tonnes of food products and distributed 60 millions meals across France, proving that it is possible to prevent food waste and create new jobs while saving money.  

Available in English.

 

 

The story of RePack

How do zero waste and online shopping work together?
RePack is a closed-loop system that can reduce e-commerce packaging by 96% while providing the same consumer experience as the disposable one.

Discover more on our case study.

Available in English and French.

 

The story of eReuse

Imagine expanding the life of electronic devices while incorporating blockchain traceability technology capable of creating 1 job for every 300 items reused.

Now imagine ensuring a 95% recycling rate and transforming a cost for municipalities into revenue that stays in the community.

eReuse is a perfect example of how a symbiosis between the digital agenda and waste management can create value, sustainability, and jobs.

Available in: English.

The story of FreiburgCup

In November 2016, Freiburg decided to stop the flood of disposable coffee cups. Less than two years later, Freiburg has proven how a mid-size city can push for alternatives to the throwaway society and define the political agenda.

Available in English and French.

The Story of Recircle

Recircle has arrived to transform takeaway restaurants. After two years, more than 400 restaurants across Switzerland were using Recircle’s 70,000 reusable meal boxes.

A winning solution that prevents waste and saves money for restaurants and cities.

Available in English and French.