Last July 2, the Commission launched several initiatives to accelerate the EU’s transition to a circular economy and prepare the ground for the Circular Economy Act, expected in 2026. Circular economy enhances competitiveness and economic growth by promoting the reuse, recycling and remanufacturing of materials. The forthcoming Act will support the EU’s goals under the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean […]
Leading the way to less food waste
Smart packaging and biodegradable films: these are two of the many solutions in the SISTERS project aimed at reducing food waste in Europe. When it started in 2021, the EU-funded SISTERS project joined the fight to reduce food waste in the European Union, where more than 59 million tonnes of food waste is generated every […]
New rules to improve the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater are given the green light by the European Parliament
Improved monitoring of chemical contaminants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. Drug and cosmetic manufacturers and Member States should finance additional treatment against micropollutants. Boosting the re-use of waste water to avoid water shortages MEPs on Wednesday gave the green light to new rules on the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water. The plenary […]
LIFE Programme: Circular Economy, resources from Waste, Air, Water, Soil, Noise, Chemicals, Bauhaus
Objective The aim is to facilitate the transition toward a sustainable, circular, toxic-free, energy-efficient/climate-resilient economy and toward a toxic-free environment as well as to protect, restore and improve the quality of the environment. The specific objective is to cover one or more of the following topics as fully defined in section 2 of the Call document: Circular Economy […]
European Union prepares stricter rules for waste shipments
The Council adopted its negotiating mandate to start talks with the European Parliament on a proposal to update EU legislation on cross-border waste shipments. The aim is to ensure that international shipments of waste don’t pose a threat to human health and the environment, and to promote the use of waste as a resource in […]
Electronic and electrical waste in the European Union
WEEE represents one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU, and less than 40% of it is recycled. Electronic and electrical devices define modern life: from washing machines and hoovers to smartphones and computers, it is hard to imagine life without them. Yet the waste they generate has become an obstacle to the […]
Used textiles in Europe are a growing waste and export problem
Discarded textiles in Europe, including used clothing and footwear, are an increasing waste and export problem. Rapidly increasing EU exports of used textiles — some of which is reused and some of which ends up in landfills — show that Europe faces a challenge in how to handle its own used textiles, according to a […]
Waste shipments: stricter rules to protect the environment and human health
The Environment Committee today adopted its position on revised rules governing shipments of waste to boost the EU circular economy, resource efficiency and zero pollution goals. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) adopted a report on the reform of EU procedures and control measures on waste shipments, on Thursday with […]
The Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules on packaging
The Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules on packaging, to tackle this constantly growing source of waste and of consumer frustration. On average, each European generates almost 180 kg of packaging waste per year. Packaging is one of the main users of virgin materials as 40% of plastics and 50% of paper used in […]