New ERA - New European Reuse Alliance

🇪🇺New ERA’s EU Journal # 4 - Taking stock of the Green Deal Established as the backbone of Ursula von der Leyen's term of office in 2019, the European Green Deal was conceived as the EU’s “new growth strategy”. It resulted in over fifty pieces of sectoral or cross-sectoral legislation. 75% have been adopted, but 8 never saw the light of day or were withdrawn by the Commission. Can the outcome be considered positive enough? Overall, even though a large part of the prospected texts was adopted, major sectoral disparities can be detected. 🟢 Legislation on energy and transport, presented in the first half of the mandate, has generally been completed. 8 texts were approved on climate action as well, covering themes like greenhouse gas reduction, carbon neutrality, carbon market, and GHG emissions reduction. 🟡 On the other hand, legislative proposals on biodiversity and chemical pollution are far more mixed. While some texts have been approved, for example establishing the protection of the environment through criminal law, banning products that contribute to deforestation or preventing pollution emitted by large European industrial sites, others were rejected or are still stuck in the legislative process. This involves regulations on chemicals, groundwater, cosmetic products, pesticides and many more. A mixed outcome for circular economy as well, as 8 texts were adopted, or are almost to that stage, while 4 are still in the discussion process. Some examples include the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the Regulation on Ecodesign and Sustainability of Products, the Revision of Waste Transfer Regulation and the Right to Repair Directive. It is still to be determined the future of the Revision of the Waste Framework Directive and the Green Claims Directive, while unfortunately the door has been closed on the Revision of regulations on the proper treatment of used oils. 🔴 Finally, agricultural policies are unfortunately the less impacted by the Green Deal, as only a third of the texts proposed at the beginning of the mandate have been implemented. The Green Deal has surely brought along essential changes to previous legislation, shining a light on environmental concerns and providing first support to a growing industry. However, it is of great importance to keep this change going and not make this an isolated parenthesis in EU’s legislation, while ensuring proper implementation of the approved policies. #EUPolicy #GreenDeal #Reuse

⚽️A goal for reuse! Yesterday, the EURO Cup final took place, and what an exciting match it was! Congratulations to Spain for winning the championship. But this year's competition was a big win for reuse as well! 🌱In fact, as explained by UEFA’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, this Euro Cup aimed at being the reference in terms of event sustainability for the world of sports and a driving force for sustainable development for German and European societies. How did they do it? ◆ Sale of packaging-free products or products with limited packaging ◆ Vegan and vegetarian food options in 100% of stadiums ◆ Reusable cups in 100% of stadiums ◆ 100% of stadiums with digital payment methods 🔁This is the first time all the stadiums and also public viewing areas relied only on reusable cups. We are pleased that our member Vytal | The reuse system was part of the #ReuseRevolution, providing reusable deposit crockery and cutlery in 60 food and drink stands on the 24,000 square meter artificial turf field of the fan zone in Berlin and covering fan zones in Cologne and Stuttgart as well. Vytal’s reusable containers made of heat-insulating BPA-free plastic are equipped with an RFID radio chip and QR code. This means that cups and dishes no longer have to be laboriously counted manually after they are returned and washed. Millions of fans have experienced unforgettable moments without single-use packaging, generating only a fifteenth of the waste that usually comes from classic large events. This demonstrates that sustainability and fun can go hand in hand, both on and off the field! #EURO2024 #Reuse #CircularEconomy

It's been nearly two months since the Refill and Reuse Trade Fair, and it’s still fresh in our minds! 🎉 We welcomed thousands of representatives from industries, institutions and reuse enthusiasts from all over the world, and held enlightening conferences and masterclasses. While we wait for the next edition let’s relive this incredible event! 🎬 Thanks to everyone who came to our stand and took a moment to talk to us, and a special thank you to Réseau Vrac et Réemploi and RCube.org for co-organising this great initiative. See you in May 2025 for the 7th edition! 🗓 #Reuse #Refill #CircularEconomy

🇪🇺EU Campaign # 3 - Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU On July 1st Hungary took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The presidency of ministers is held for 6 months by a Member State and consists of directing all the groups that make up the presidency. Succeeding Belgium, which had itself succeeded Spain, it completes the trio of Council presidencies. The trio sets long-term goals and prepares a common agenda determining the topics and major issues that will be addressed by the Council over an 18-month period. Based on this programme, each of the three countries prepares its own more detailed six-month programme. 📌Hungary’s main priorities will include: ◆ enhancing the EU's competitiveness ◆ strengthening European defence policy  ◆ shaping the future of cohesion policy ◆ curbing illegal immigration ◆ addressing demographic challenges ◆ implementing a coherent and merit-based enlargement policy ◆ promoting a farmer-oriented EU agricultural policy 🌱While in the previous Belgian presidency “pursuing a green and just transition” was appointed as one of the six main priorities of the Council of the EU, the environment does not feature prominently in the programme of the Hungarian Presidency. It is present in small touches, mainly referring to sustainable growth in the European pact for competitiveness. Promoting the circular economy remains a priority as a means to drive economic development and innovation. Considering the needs of businesses, especially SMEs, is essential to support them in maintaining their competitiveness. In the Presidency’s programme, reuse is also mentioned as a way to support the increase of competitiveness and the protection of nature together with developing a high-quality waste collection and utilisation system with innovative solutions. Other priorities include the implementation of the Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, defining climate targets for 2040, supporting the cooperation between Member States and the European Commission on national energy and climate plans, and the adoption of the conclusions for COP29. #HU24EU #EUElections #CircularEconomy

New ERA is growing! 🎉 Today, we proudly celebrate our accomplishments and our Members. New ERA was born with a clear mission of fostering change for the reuse and refill industry by advocating for impactful EU policies. Initially founded by seven pioneering members - Jean Bouteille, Bumerang, reCIRCLE AG, fritz-kola GmbH, SEA ME GmbH, RECUP REBOWL, Opopop colis -  our organisation has rapidly grown to represent over 60 industry leaders across eleven countries today. June was a month full of new entries! We would like to welcome our newest members TOMRA, Carton Vert, Ecklo♻️ and Petainer. From the first to the last member, thanks for your trust and your commitment to the cause, we are proud to represent such a vital and flourishing sector. Do you want to be part of the change and become the next member of New ERA? Get in touch with us at 👉 info@newreusealliance.eu! Finally, we also want to celebrate our growing community here on LinkedIn, now made of more than 3000 reuse enthusiasts, which fuels our commitment to sharing knowledge and making reuse and refill accessible to everyone. #Reuse #Refill #CircularEconomy

🇪🇺New ERA's EU Journal # 2 - Top jobs appointment After weeks of discussions and negotiation, last Thursday, the Council turned in its official nominations for the so-called “top jobs”, let’s take a closer look:  🇵🇹 António Costa, President of the European Council Portuguese Prime Minister between 2015 and 2023, António Costa is a prominent personality in the European Socialist family and a regular member of the European Council (EC). As President of the EC, he will preside over and drive forward the work of the college of heads of state or government of EU Member States. He will assume office at the end of the year, succeeding the current President, Charles Michel. 🇪🇪 Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Estonian Prime Minister will take on the mission of shaping the standing of the EU on the global stage, succeding Josep Borrell. She sat in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2018 as a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which became Renew in 2019. She then became the leader of the Estonian Reform Party and has been Prime Minister since 2021. Taking office at the end of the year, she will be the first person from the Baltic States to head a European institution.  🇩🇪 Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
 Last but definitely not least, the name of the outgoing President of the European Commission does not come as a surprise. The President’s main role is to give political guidance to the Commission, call and chair meetings of the college of the Commissioners and lead the Commission's work in implementing EU policies. The former conservative German minister was presented as the spitzenkandidaten of her political family, the European People’s Party, for a second term. Von der Leyen must now convince a majority (361) of MEPs to approve her in mid-July when the first plenary of the newly elected European Parliament will take place.  Follow our EU Journal to stay up to date on the developments of the post-election landscape!

🏄♂️Surfing for plastic reduction and reuse policy In 2014, Merijn Tinga, also known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, built a surfboard using washed-up plastics and surfed along the Dutch coast. This incredible journey ignited a movement against plastic pollution. 🌍 In July 2022 Merijn Tinga ~ Plastic Soup Surfer started his “Mission Reuse Expedition" to fight for the adoption of reusable cups and the elimination of disposable cups. Surfing from Brussels to Amsterdam, he secured commitment from municipalities along the route to transition to reusable cups. Fast forward to the summer of 2023, Merijn embarked on a solo 1800km windsurfing expedition from Oslo to London, symbolically returning English stray bottles that had washed up on the Swedish coast. Now he’s taking on a new challenge: surfing from London to Paris on a custom-made board constructed from plastic litter and partially grown by micro-organisms. This expedition symbolises the ‘return to sender’ of plastic bottles found in France, bringing them back to their source. Building on the momentum of the Olympics, the Plastic Soup Surfer is embarking on his voyage to bring the ‘alternative Olympic torch’ to Paris: a torch made from plastic bottles found on his path. Together with WWF UK, Surfers Against Sewage, the Marine Conservation Society and Greenpeace UK, Merijn will deliver his message to the Mayor of Paris. 🔁 The mission's goal is to promote Deposit Return Schemes (DRS). This initiative began in the Netherlands, where the introduction of DRS resulted in an 88% reduction in littering of bottles and cans, contributing to a 51% decrease in the country's total litter since 2016. After the finish line, on Thursday 11th of July, a conference on DRS will be held in Paris bringing together all French stakeholders in deposit return schemes to collectively decide on the next steps. The conference will take place at L’Académie du Climat and is open to everyone, you can find all the info here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d87HKDrQ  

🇪🇺New ERA’s EU Journal # 1 - Mid-term review of the 8th EAP On June 17, the Council unanimously adopted the conclusions of the mid-term review of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), a legally agreed common agenda that entered into force in May 2022 and that guides European environmental policy until 2030. The representatives of the 27 Member States gathered to assess the progress made in relation to the objectives set out in the text and thus inform future legislative priorities in terms of climate and the environment. At this stage, no additional measures are expected and the focus is set mainly on the implementation of existing measures, putting the responsibility on Member States, which are now required to take action and deliver on their commitments. However, a list of necessities for the next term was set, covering themes like water management, climate resilience, biodiversity loss, adaptation and just transition. Circular economy and sustainable resource management have also been targeted as key tools. The review not only recognises that a transition to a circular economy would reduce climate, resource, and ecosystem pressures, but that it would also benefit economic and industrial acceleration, innovation, employment, and EU self-sufficiency in critical raw materials. The Council has highlighted the importance of taking further steps in the short term to ensure a smooth implementation of current legislation, specifically focusing on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The Commission has to respond to these conclusions by March 2025. This clearly indicates that ecological transition must continue to be a central focus of European cooperation beyond the Green Deal. While initial progress has been made, it is crucial that we remain steadfast in our commitment to this objective 💪 #NewERA #EU #GreenDeal #CircularEconomy #Reuse #Refill #EUElections #News

€67 billion for the environment💰 According to recent Eurostat estimations, EU countries invested about €67 billion into assets essential to provide environmental protection services in 2023! Since 2006, the amount has steadily increased by 53 million, with an average annual growth rate of 1.3%. These services included: 💧Wastewater treatment plants  🚛Vehicles to transport waste 🌳Land acquisitions to create natural reserves 🧰Cleaner equipment for production 🏭In which sector? The biggest amount of investments was related to wastewater and waste management services, accounting respectively for 41.6% and 26.6%. This represents a budget of nearly 18 billion euros for waste management. 💸Where is the money coming from? The private sector invested the most in environmental services, with corporations spending almost €40 billion. The remaining €27 billion invested is attributed to the general government and non-profit sector. 💪It's encouraging to see the significant investments being made towards environmental protection. However, we need to keep pushing for even greater collaboration between public and private sectors, with the aim of making a circular economy the standard practice.  #CircularEconomy #NewERA #Reuse #Refill #EU

🎉One month ago we celebrated the Refill and Reuse Trade Fair! It feels like yesterday when we welcomed thousands of representatives from industry, institutions, and many other reuse enthusiasts from all over the world in the stunning Parc Floral in Paris. 🎤 Amidst the multitude of solution providers showcasing at the fair, we also had a rich and engaging lineup of conferences! If you missed out on it or just want to refresh your memory all the videos of the conferences and round tables from the Refill & Reuse Trade Fair are now available! You can watch them all here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4q5DAgs Thank you again for your participation in the 2024 edition of the Refill & Reuse Trade Fair, we can’t wait to see you next year!