The European Parliament gave in to throwaway culture today in its position on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) proposal, issued by the European Commission one year ago [1]. MEPs voted on hundreds of amendments, many of which aimed to undermine the environmental ambition of the legislative text. The abundance of options provoked a barrage of false claims, scaremongering, and intense lobbying from industry players in the run-up to the vote.
Labels claiming that plastic water bottles are ‘100% recycled’ and/or ‘100% recyclable’ can be misleading. A coalition of consumer rights, legal, and environmental organisations seek to put an end to the proliferation of such claims.
In this report, we explore the current state of PET-based bottle recycling in Europe, as well as its potential for improvement, alongside analysis of common claims made to consumers on bottle labels relating to recycling. Published by ClientEarth, ECOS and Zero Waste Europe and prepared by Eunomia Research & Consulting.
The number of electronics on the EU market increased by more than 85% between 2013-2021, new Eurostat data reveals [1]. This is leading to a similarly expanding rate of e-waste [2]. A bold and urgent answer is needed from the EU to mitigate environmental damage caused by Europe’s exponentially growing reliance on electronics.
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?
On 30 November, as part of its Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Commission will take a step towards improving the sustainability of packaging and wider product distribution systems – or not.
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.
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.
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