Revision of the Waste Framework Directive – How to revise EU legislation to align with the political ambition and commitment of the European Green Deal

Despite the good progress in EU legislation, the linear economy continues to be the norm in Europe. Most nutrients present in our waste still end up in landfills and incinerators; prevention and reuse lack the necessary infrastructure; packaging recycling rates are low and packaging reuse is even lower; fast fashion reigns free and recycling rates of textiles are close to zero. We often trust producers to come up with the needed solutions, resulting in cost-efficiency instead of a reduction of environmental impact.

The revision of the Waste Framework Directive, therefore, comes at a key time to organise the work for the coming decades. In this position, Zero Waste Europe, calls for its three key asks to be adopted.

Available in English.

Joint paper: recommendations on waste prevention targets

This joint paper by ECOS, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Recycling Netwerk Benelux (RNB), RReuse and Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) shows the lack of effectiveness of existing waste prevention policies. We need European level quantitative waste prevention targets, as well as effective national measures. This position paper also highlights manufacturers’ role in reducing resource use and the size of the circular economy loop. Lastly, it offers some clarity on the differences between waste prevention and recycling, emphasising that recycling is lower in the European waste hierarchy than prevention.

Available in English.

Designing for real recycling, not plastic lock-in

Most plastic packaging today is not recycled nor recyclable. Designing for chemical recycling endangers the actual recyclability of plastics and prevents efforts to phase out hard-to-recycle plastics. Products must be designed using materials that can be treated through sustainable, efficient, low-carbon operations.
This position paper by Zero Waste Europe, ECOS and Rethink Plastic Alliance provides recommendations to prevent plastic lock-in.

Available in English.

Why PVC remains a problematic material

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe, with the input and support of Zero Waste Europe, Rethink Plastic and a total of 18 leading health and environmental organisations, has released a paper presenting a detailed insight into the complexity of health and environmental issues associated with the entire life cycle of PVC. All current evidence supports the simple proposition that PVC is problematic and that it presents significant, often avoidable health issues – the paper also includes examples of already successful phase-outs of PVC.

Determining recycled content with the ‘mass balance approach’ – 10 recommendations for development of methods and standards

If the label on the bottle in your hand said it was made from recycled plastic, would you believe it? Depending on the method behind the claim, the bottle might contain little to no recycled content at all.
This position paper highlights recommendations to ensure that the methodologies for determining recycled content are developed in a manner which contributes to a circular economy.

 

Available in English

NGOs Response to informal call for comments on the Draft Commission Delegated Regulation to implement recent changes to the Basel Convention

We joined forces with the other organisations of the Basel Action Network – Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Environmental Investigation Agency, European Environmental Bureau –  to comment on the Delegated Regulation to transpose the Basel COP14 plastic waste amendments found in Decision 14/12 into the Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) of the European Union.

Available in English

Reusable Packaging and COVID-19

Zero Waste Europe and Reloop analyse the situation of reuse and refill systems in light of COVID-19. While industry pushes for single use, there is no evidence that single-use packaging contributes to the spread of the virus any less or more than reusables.

Available in English & Swedish

Climate Bonds Initiative criteria for waste management

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) claims to be the world’s preeminent authority on sustainable finance. Yet its recently published Waste Management Criteria endorses waste incineration outside the EU as a sustainable investment. This reveals an alarming double standard in its environmental and social principles and ignores the demands of more than a hundred civil society organisations that urged CBI to protect the circular economy and the climate from this technology. Read our policy paper.

Available in English.

Counting Carbon: a lifecycle assessment guide for plastic fuels

Converting fossil plastics to fuels is sometimes marketed as a part of the solution to the environmental and waste problems the plastic industry is currently facing. This briefing shows that when full cradle-to-grave lifecycle assessments are made, the fossil carbon embedded within plastics becomes much more apparent. Policy briefing with Rethink Plastic alliance and Bellona EU.

 

Available in English

Safe fire safety for everyone: avoid toxic flame retardants in our furniture

The Alliance for Flame Retardant Free Furniture released a position paper calling on EU-wide action against the use of flame retardants in furniture and bedding. The paper also points out the importance for the EU institutions to tap into the potential of toxic-free safe fire safety in support of a circular economy.

Available in English.

El Dorado of Chemical Recycling, State of play and policy challenges

Zero Waste Europe releases a study on Chemical Recycling looking into the the state of implementation of the technologies in the European context and giving policy recommendations to ensure Chemical Recycling complements, rather than jeopardises, a real Circular Economy.

 

Available in English