2024 European Parliament elections – our pledge for a zero waste Europe
Ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections, Zero Waste Europe calls on the decision makers to commit to the principles of sufficiency, resilience, and wellbeing for the next mandate.
By signing our pledge, Members of the European Parliament will support comprehensive policies to make a zero waste Europe a living, widespread reality.
The pledge
Current situation
The European Union (EU) has made progress with crucial policies such as:
- The adoption of the Circular Economy action plan;
- The implementation of the Single-Use-Plastics Directive; and
- The current revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.
Yet the EU falls short of tackling the defects of our existing system, and is still rewarding wasteful practices and perpetuating inequalities.
The Europe we envision is one that preserves valuable resources; generates local jobs; increases community resilience; and stands up for environmental and resource justice.
Sign our pledge
Ahead of the last EP election in 2019, we gathered 51 signatories from the whole spectrum of political parties for our previous pledge. We thank our past signatories for their commitment, and renew our call for all European parties and elected individuals to join our newest call for a zero waste Europe.
By signing the pledge, MEPs and political parties will commit to:
- Place strategic resource use at the forefront of EU policies by upgrading relevant EU policies to align with the 1.5 degrees warming target, transforming the Waste Framework Directive into a Resources Framework Directive, and advocating for strategic resource use in global agreements like the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
- Prevent waste before it is generated and close clean material and nutrient cycles by implementing EU-wide waste prevention policies, enforcing high-quality separate collection for various waste types, redefining Ecodesign rules and Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, and eliminating toxic chemicals through the revision of Food Contact Material policies.
- Reduce resource leakage from the circular economy by ensuring environmentally sensible use of chemical recycling, capping residual waste generation instead of a 10% landfill target, creating a legislative framework for sustainable mixed waste management, and redirecting EU subsidies to zero waste business models that generate local jobs.
Please note that pledge signatures are only open to European decision makers (i.e. current and prospective Members of the European Parliament and their political parties).
If you wish to support us as an individual or as an organisation, we encourage you to spread the word by sharing the call with MEPs from your country and urge them to sign our pledge.
Download the pledge
Pledge signatories
Get in touch
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Aline MaigretHead of Policy at Zero Waste Europe -
Ana OliveiraHead of Communications at Zero Waste Europe -
Stephanie YatesHead of Network and Movement Building
Past elections pledges
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Zero Waste Europe gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the European Union. The sole responsibility for the content of this project lies with Zero Waste Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the funder mentioned above. The funder cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.