Sustainability and circularity: the prospects of circular economy according to the Ministry of Environment! 🌿 The Ministry of the Environment has set the course for policy priorities for 2024 and beyond. Through Ministerial Decree No. 7 of Jan. 10, the Ministry approved the Policy Act, a valuable monitoring and reminder tool to guide the path toward broader sustainability. The Ministry's Seven Priorities. - National Recovery and Resilience Plan and National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. - Energy security, decarbonization and sustainability; - Circular economy and air pollution prevention; - Protection of biodiversity and terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems; - Prevention and mitigation of hydrogeological instability, soil defense, water resource protection and environmental remediation; - International actions for ecological transition and sustainable development; - Administrative efficiency, bureaucratic transition and environmental education. ♻️Focus on circular economy: In the context of the circular economy, the paper highlights support for the Italian recycling system and the promise of a National Critical Raw Materials Strategy to reduce foreign dependence. In addition, a dedicated national plastics strategy is announced to prevent leakage, incentivize collection, meet European recycling targets, and promote the technological development of mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics. ➡️Perspectives on the future: The Ministry stresses the importance of the NRP and the REPowerEU Plan as central pillars in the government's growth and innovation strategy. Concrete actions are promised to manage waste, improve separate collection, and valorize secondary raw materials. ➡️European engagement and green economy: The ministry also engages in European negotiations on several directives, such as those on packaging, ecodesign, critical raw materials and more, reaffirming Italy's active participation in the European sustainability scene. ✅At Sermag, we are proud to have always had, at the core of our mission, the production of circular plastics to support and protect the environment. We strive every day to provide our partners and customers with a pure 100% recycled and reusable product. #Sermag #CircularEconomy #CircularPlastics #Sustainability #Environment

The European #Environment Agency has published Pathways towards circular plastics in Europe - good practice examples from countries, business and citizens. This Briefing is available at https://lnkd.in/e83meBr3

This week in the #CircularEconomy, a flurry of activity from Brussels saw the EU Parliament approve four proposals that will force comprehensive changes to how European and international corporations must design products, disclose sustainability measures, and facilitate recycling, reuse and repair. 1️⃣ Packaging and Waste Regulation (#PPWR) Tackles national and corporate packaging waste, sets reuse and refill targets, and mandates a proportional increase in recyclable packaging. 2️⃣ Ecodesign Regulation Sets heightened standards for durability, reparability, energy efficiency, and recyclability. Also enforces a Digital Product Passport (#DPP) and includes rules to prevent the destruction of unsold products. 3️⃣ Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (#CSDDD) Requires affected companies to end or mitigate their adverse impact on human rights and the environment, as well as commit to transition plans compatible with the Paris Agreement global warming limit of 1.5°C. 4️⃣ Right to Repair Directive Mandates timely and cost-effective repair services from manufacturers, and requires them to inform customers about their right to repair. It also enforces national measures to promote affordable repair. - All of these proposals now require final approval from the European Council, and each carries its own timeline before it becomes law. 👇Read about these proposals and more curated circularity news at the link below. Subscribe to receive this newsletter in your inbox every Friday. #CircularEconomyCircular https://lnkd.in/eEjSNiXJ

The World Circular Economy Forum is coming up tomorrow. If you would like to have a conversation about how to claim validation and highlight your environmental product to your customer, let's meet up for a coffee in Brussels on the 17/4. ☕ With our SGS Green mark we can certify that your product is ▪ Industrial Compostable ▪ Biodegradability ▪ Biobased ▪ Hazardous Substances Assessed ▪ Recycled content ▪ PVC Free ▪ PFAS Assessed Want to know more about the Sustainability Solutions of SGS? Let's meet in Brussels at the https://lnkd.in/eJqJWEmf. #circulareconomy #SustainabilitySolutions #SGS

🌱 Green Journey: Sustainability in Progress. 🌎 On a leap towards responsible practices, the European Parliament has given its final green light to a directive to combat greenwashing by establishing clear guidelines for companies on promoting environmental claims to consumers. Among other provisions, the directive introduces strict requirements to put a stop to generic terms like 'eco-friendly,' 'eco,' 'green,' 'nature's friend,' 'ecological,' and 'environmentally correct' without solid environmental performance proof and certification. ♻️ At RCDPLAS - Plastics Recycling, we applaud this commitment to transparency and align seamlessly with these efforts. Our dedication to plastics recycling and a circular economy echoes the directive's principles. 🌍♻️ Choose Recycled. Be the Change! 🌐✨ #RCDPlas #GreenJourney #CircularPlasticFuture #PlasticsRecycling #Reshapingplastics #ChangingPlasticsforGood #RecyclePlastics #CircularEconomy #RecyclingExcellence #Sustainability #SustainableSolutions #SustainabilityLeadership #EnvironmentalImpact #EnvironmentalResponsibility #InnovationForChange #Recyclingisreal #GreenInitiatives #RecyclingInnovation

🌍🔄 European Environment Agency (EEA) has just released its comprehensive assessment of the circular economy in the EU. Sadly, the report reveals that there has been very little progress toward achieving a circular economy. 📉 It highlights that Europe predominantly operates under a linear model, with products having short-use phases. Business models often prioritize mass production over quality, leading to early breakdowns or premature obsolescence. 🔧 The report recommends shifting focus towards reducing material consumption, promoting long-lasting products, and potentially embracing the concept of sufficiency. While I acknowledge this assessment, I disagree with some proposed next steps. 🎯 Merely setting targets won't be enough. The EU must empower Member States with actionable tools for implementation. Moreover, the lack of policy coherence exacerbates the issue. Contradictions between waste reduction policies and climate & energy initiatives worsen the situation. To address this, the EU needs to align subsidy schemes with waste policies and immediately phase out subsidy schemes supporting single-use or short-lived products and fully stop subsidising or encouraging in any way energy from (mixed) waste. 🚫 Additionally, implementing taxes on virgin raw materials is crucial to incentivize sustainable practices. It's time for concrete actions to transition towards a truly circular economy. ♻️ #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #EUEnvironment https://lnkd.in/ef8h2i63

Following yesterday’s vote in the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament on new packaging rules in Europe, aka #PPWR, I attended a live panel discussion on behalf of Zero Waste Europe on 'Net zero Packaging' together with Marc Rademacher - Constantia Flexibles, Patricia Torres, OMRON Group, and Sophie Hammond, The Carbon Trust, and organised by Packaging Europe Libby Munford My contribution to the debate: - While net zero pathways can be useful, net zero targets should be replaced with 1.5°C – aligned carbon budgets. We should also acknowledge that the current issues we are facing in the packaging sector are broader than just climate change ones (reminder: climate change is just one of the 9 planetary boundaries, with 6 of them being already transgressed) - But if you ask me to focus on carbon budgets: the EU packaging policy is ill-equipped to deliver on this agenda. Zooming in on the EU single use beverage packaging sector for example: aluminum, PET (plastic), and glass packaging are projected to exceed their allocated carbon budget by at least 50% (even with an assumption of no growth in beverage container consumption) - Will investment in technology and enhanced recycling be enough to improve this trajectory and reduce packaging waste? Let’s be clear, NO. Material use must be reduced in the first place and in all packaging categories, which speaks in favour of ambitious prevention and #reuse targets #PPWR - The outcome of the PPWR vote in the European Parliament (ENVI Committee) yesterday isn’t perfect but is going in the right direction: away from single-use packaging & bringing down packaging waste (=main goal of the regulation) Conversation to be followed - vote scheduled in plenary 20/11 Zero Waste Europe press release following PPWR ENVI committee vote yesterday: https://lnkd.in/e5DMiVPB Studies on net zero commissioned to Eunomia: https://lnkd.in/eWwnd2yq https://lnkd.in/eUGjYhXU

Hooray for circularity!! 📈 Yesterday, the EU Parliament confirmed a significant update: unsold clothing and electronics can no longer be destroyed, aligning with the Ecodesign Regulation's principles. ---> yay to resource recirculation! 📅MPs in Strasbourg voted to ban the destruction of unsold goods, emphasizing the importance of reuse, repair, and recycling. ✅ The ESPR builds on the success of the existing Ecodesign Directive, extending its scope beyond energy-related products to cover almost all physical goods. ✅This regulation aims to enhance the circularity, energy performance, and overall environmental sustainability of products in the market. ✅ It sets requirements for product durability, reusability, energy efficiency, recycled content, and more, paving the way for a greener future. ✅ The introduction of the Digital Product Passport will provide easy access to vital environmental information, empowering consumers and businesses to make informed choices. By 2030, the ESPR could lead to massive primary energy savings, equivalent to nearly EU's annual import of Russian gas. Here is the link to the regulation if you want to dive deeper: https://lnkd.in/dbfWgW5y #Sustainability #Ecodesign #CircularEconomy 🌿

🏤 🌿 Interesting exchanges today at a roundtable organized by FleishmanHillard in Brussels on The Future of Circular Economy in Europe. 👉 Key takeaway: the next 5 years will become key for the EU circular economy to succeed. ♻ A revision of the Waste Framework Directive with a focus on materials as resources, rather than mere waste management 🗑, could potentially support rather than limit the recycling industry in the EU, including end-users. ⚖ Industry competitiveness, self-sufficiency, a wider scope for existing legislation and innovative market pull mechanisms, altogether aim at making of the EU circular economy a strength rather than a burden against global competitors. 🎉 Thanks for the invite and the great debate! #circulareconomy #strategy #roundatble

Insightful write up by Robin (Pete) Townsend of Bureau Veritas Group highlighting the opportunity to build on Ship Recycling Regulations (HKC and EUSRR) and integrate Circular Economy established principles. https://lnkd.in/ez7nXX6d At Varuna Sentinels BV, we assist our clients in integrating Circular Economy standards into their business models and supply chains. The rising awareness of ESG further supports this, as companies increasingly prioritize ESG reporting. This facilitates benchmarking and consistent progress towards sustainable business and operational practices." #CircularEconomy #ShipRecycling #SustainableBusiness #ESGReporting #BureauVeritas #Sustainability #OperationalPractices #SupplyChainInnovation #HKCandEUSRR #VarunaSentinelsBV