Circular economy
Environment ministers in Budapest: What’s on the agenda
Est. 3minToday and tomorrow (11 and 12 July) the Hungarian Presidency will host an informal meeting of Environment Ministers in Budapest, where they will discuss COP29, the circular economy's potential to boost competitiveness and water scarcity.
EU Parliament approves new rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging
Est. 3minThe European Parliament has adopted by a large majority a new directive on packaging and packaging waste. The text includes measures to prevent the production of waste, but also to promote the reuse and recycling of certain types of packaging.
EU Parliament approves new ‘ecodesign’ rules to make products more sustainable
Est. 3minThe European Parliament approved on Tuesday (23 April) new rules to make products sold in the EU more reusable, repairable, upgradeable, and recyclable.
EU Parliament ratifies Right to Repair Directive
Est. 3minMembers of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favour of the Right to Repair Directive on Tuesday (23 April), aimed at improving consumer access to repair services in order to reduce waste.
Europe finalises rules for more recycling, less waste exports
Est. 4minOn Monday, the Council of the EU unanimously voted to adopt the revised Waste Shipment Regulation. This text, which now becomes EU law, aims to encourage more local waste management and greater recycling of raw materials, while exports of waste to non-EU countries will be reduced.
Europe needs to step up circular economy efforts: EU agency
Est. 2minEurope must accelerate efforts to transform its economy into a circular one focused on reusing or repurposing materials to cut waste, a necessity if it is meet climate targets, the European Environment Agency warned Thursday (21 March).
EU gives final green light to critical raw materials strategy
Est. 3minThe Council of the EU gave its final approval on Monday (18 March) for a strategy to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials critical for the green transition, digital industries, and defence sectors, it said in a press release.
EU Parliament approves proposal to reduce textile and food waste
Est. 4minThe European Parliament on Wednesday (13 March) backed targets for the prevention and reduction of food and textile waste across the bloc. However, environmental NGOs have criticised the proposal's lack of ambition.
Lawmakers back EU law to cut food and textile waste
Est. 3minThe European Parliament's environment committee voted on Wednesday (14 February) in favour of EU targets to reduce food waste as well as an obligation on the textile industry to pay for the trash it generates.
EU Commission warns Romania over landfill waste management
Est. 2minRomania received a warning on Wednesday for failing to fully comply with the Landfill and Waste Framework Directives despite having already been fined by the European Court of Justice in December.
Why fashion’s ‘recycling’ is not saving the planet
Est. 6minThe industry sells itself on producing clothes from 'recycled materials', but these are mostly made from recycled plastics that cannot be recycled a second time. NGOs explain that the only solution is to buy less clothing.
EU-backed green certification scheme for raw materials launched, in world first
Est. 6minGermany’s TÜV Nord Group is launching the world’s "first and only comprehensive certification" scheme for critical raw materials along the entire value chain – from exploration to extraction and processing, up to the final product.
EU Commission wants captured CO2 to become ‘tradeable commodity’
Est. 6minA leaked European Commission paper on “industrial carbon management”, to be published on 6 February, lays the groundwork for captured carbon dioxide to be “recycled” in chemical processes or used as maritime and jet fuel, while accounting for non-emitted CO2 in the bloc’s carbon market.
Spanish pellet spill puts EU law on microplastic pollution in the spotlight
Est. 4minA recent spill of plastic pellets on the Spanish coast has highlighted the need for regulation at EU level, with environmental groups pushing for a zero tolerance approach to plastic pollution.
Recycling market in Europe faces ‘collapse’ after EU waste export ban
Est. 4minThe European Union’s decision to ban exports of plastic waste in and outside Europe is threatening to collapse the market for the collection and recycling of plastic packaging, Belgian industry association Valipac has warned.
Norway’s parliament gives green light for controversial deep-sea mining
Est. 5minNorwegian lawmakers gave the go-ahead for deep-sea mining exploration around the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard on Tuesday (9 January), a world first that has raised concerns among environmental groups.
French local authorities seek axing of EU deposit return scheme for plastic bottles
Est. 5minA proposed mandatory deposit return scheme for plastic bottles should be scrapped altogether, French local representatives say, rejecting suggestions by EU member states to exempt countries that already achieve a high collection rate for plastic packaging.
Deal on EU trash export ban hailed as end of ‘waste colonialism’
Est. 4minEnvironmental groups have applauded a landmark political agreement reached at EU level last month to ban the export of waste for disposal both inside and outside of Europe, saying it puts an end to “waste colonialism” from rich nations.
‘Pay-as-you-throw’: The microchips conquering Europe’s waste bins
Est. 6minTo reduce household waste, a growing number of local authorities in Europe have started putting microchips on waste bins and charging people for the amount of trash they throw away.
Eastern countries seek EU help to catch up on the bioeconomy
Est. 5minWhile the European Commission is in the process of updating the EU's new bioeconomy strategy, Eastern European countries are calling for more deployment of this technology on their territory to close the gap with Western Europe.
EU’s critical minerals act welcome but falling short, say green groups and industry
Est. 6minThe EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, adopted on Thursday (7 December), aims to reduce permitting times for domestic mining and recycling projects, but fails to create the broader conditions necessary for companies to make those investments, the industry says – a warning echoed by green activists.
Deal on new ‘ecodesign’ rules to make EU products greener, easier to repair
Est. 4minThe European Parliament and the Council of EU member states reached a provisional deal on Monday (4 December) on new ‘ecodesign’ rules to make products easier to repair and recycle while fighting planned obsolescence and banning the destruction of unsold textiles.
Romania aims to recycle 7 billion PETs per year
Est. 2minRomania’s guarantee return system for plastic, glass and metal packaging went live on Thursday, with an ambitious target to recycle around 7 billion pieces of reusable PET plastic each year to massively increase the country’s current separate collection rate of about 12-13%.
The draft regulation on packaging waste stokes fears about impact on forests
Est. 5minIn the run-up to this week's vote in the European Parliament on the draft packaging waste regulation, a Euractiv event looked at the impact of packaging on Europe's forests. Here are the key points.