The ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on the UN Global Plastic Treaty offer a unique opportunity to address the root causes of plastic pollution. An international legally binding instrument on plastics pollution, the treaty should ensure the appropriate use of standards and prioritise provisions that reduce plastic pollution, avoid regrettable substitutions, and harness the power of transparency. To make progress, with time running short for negotiations, we urge negotiators to urgently address these priority issues and essential measures.
A UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution could be an essential piece of the puzzle to reach the 2030 sustainable development goals – but success is not guaranteed. ECOS is contributing to the treaty decision-making process as an official observer, advocating for high ambition and the integration of ambitious standards that protect the environment.
Civil society organisations and responsible companies operating in relevant sectors wrote to the European Commission to urge the prioritisation of robust and transparent chain of custody models for calculating recycled content in their implementing decision establishing rules for the application of Directive (EU) 2019/904. It is necessary to rectify the decision to ensure the highest quality and transparency when determining of recycled content.
ECOS and CIEL have published a brief that explains policies and technical processes that require the continuation and expansion of plastics production - cannot be labeled circular, and should not be considered solutions to the global plastics crisis.
Regulators are coming for single-use plastics. In the EU, PET bottles will need to include at least 25% recycled plastic by 2025. The bar will be raised to 65% and extended to all single-use plastic beverage bottles by 2040 if new draft packaging rules are passed. But how to count the amount of recycled plastic in a bottle? If rules are too loose, this could become a meaningless accounting exercise – and the first step towards greenwashing. The EU is expected to set those technical rules in the first quarter of 2023. Out of the limelight, this is a watershed moment for the end of unjustified green claims about recycled plastic. What to expect?
No other industry in the EU consumes more resources, energy and produces more waste by weight – and is a formidable polluter - than the construction industry. Ahead of the European Parliament's public hearing on 'Making the Internal Market for Construction Products fit for the 21st century', ECOS recommends six steps to amend the CPR.
Five NGOs write to the Waste Technical Adaptation Committee, calling for a transparent and ambitious ‘chain of custody’ method for determining recycled content in plastic products.
The European Commission is currently looking into options for revising the essential requirements for packaging in order to strengthen them and ensure better enforcement of these new rules.
In September, ECOS joined the ISO working group on the characterisation of (micro)plastics leaked into the environment (ISO/TC 61/ SC 14/WG 4). Within this group, we will help develop principles and methods to assess and characterise (micro)plastics contamination in the environment (e.g. water) and materials.
Simple reusable solutions to throwaway plastic cups, plates, cutlery and takeaway boxes are working across Europe – but need governments’ backing to take off and power the #ReuseRevolution.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
