Every year, our global economy consumes around 100 billion tonnes of resources — three quarters of which it cannot replenish. This reliance on a constant flow of virgin raw materials leaves our economies increasingly exposed to price shocks, supply disruptions and the universal inefficiencies of resource waste. One direct way to relieve this pressure is to keep materials circulating at their highest value.

The Rediscovery Centre considers that:

• the call for evidence focuses too much on measures to enhance collection and recycling and too little on prevention, repair and reuse;
• tackling consumption rates and increasing reuse will also reduce the EU’s reliance on imports;
• welcomes the move to develop EPR schemes but feels that the non-profit sector and other key stakeholders involved in the design and implementation process should be involved as well as producers;
• more effective circularity metrics and targets are needed, including separate targets for consumption reduction, repair, reuse and preparation for reuse;
• dedicated and sufficient financial mechanisms and funding streams are needed to ensure the viability of prevention, repair and reuse initiatives across the EU.

Plastic pollution continues to pose a major challenge for communities across Europe, and the question of who should finance the management of litter has become increasingly important. This first ACR+ policy paper on litter evaluates the progress made by Member States in establishing and rolling out the EPR systems required by Article 8 of the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD).

It finds that few Member States have started implementing these systems. It is easier to establish systems for packaging-related SUPD products (because of the EPR systems already in place) than for new products such as balloons and wet wipes.

However, the most challenging part of the implementation is the calculation of littering costs. Public authorities pay the bulk of this, but more transparency is needed.

Each year, the EEA takes stock of progress towards meeting the six objectives of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), one of which is a regenerative circular economy.

The report finds that the EU's consumption exceeds the planet's 'safe operating space' for resource extraction and its consumption is unlikely to decrease significantly this decade. It is also unlikely that per capita total waste generation will significantly decrease by 2030.

Legislation already in place to prevent waste generation and improve waste management — including through recycling and the reuse of materials — has contributed to a relative decoupling of raw material consumption and waste generation from economic growth but significant additional efforts are needed to reach the 2030 targets.

Reuse activities are an essential part of the EU’s moves to tackle the growing waste crisis.

However, the current combined targets for reuse and recycling generally prioritise recycling. This disregards the fact that quantitative reuse and preparing-for-reuse targets are an essential policy tool to implement the EU’s waste hierarchy.

This report presents an overview of existing targets and a detailed look at 24 targets set in different product categories and waste streams. The policy recommendations will help policymakers as they shape the Circular Economy Act, the revised WEEE Directive and other relevant measures at EU level. They cover issues such as setting specific targets for product streams with high environmental impact and job creation potential.

Paper recycling is one of Europe’s greatest circular economy achievements. However, regulatory fragmentation, market imbalances and rising operational risks are placing pressure on recyclers.

Recycling Europe calls on EU policymakers to act. This manifesto proposes four measures to safeguard the success story of paper recycling:

• Design circular paper products: recycling should be expected and the CEA should drive demand;
• Reduce EU administrative burdens: EU-wide rules on end-of-waste criteria for recovered paper and shipments are needed;
• Secure access to global markets for recovered paper: not all recovered paper can be re-used within Europe;
• Address the fire risk from lithium batteries in waste management facilities: proper waste sorting is crucial.

With a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life shortly, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity for Europe. Boosting domestic ship recycling will:

• secure a steady supply of secondary raw materials and so strengthen Europe’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy;
• make a meaningful contribution to the decarbonisation of the EU steel and construction sectors, supporting Europe’s broader climate and circular economy goals;
• create green jobs in the recycling and waste management sector;
• align with EU environmental policies preventing the export of hazardous materials and restrict exports of waste that harm the environment and human health in third countries.

The distribution and consumption of second-hand clothing have evolved into a rapidly expanding market that spans multiple countries, some where these garments are worn, discarded and accumulated, and others where they are imported, distributed and consumed. The result is a complex network of North–South global circuits.

This report is the outcome of the GreenCCircuit project which aims to contribute to development education in the context of the circular economy in the textile and clothing sector in the Ibero-American space, particularly Mozambique and Mexico. 

The report uses Portugal as an example of exporting countries, while Mozambique and Mexico are illustrative of recipient countries. It concludes that the social and economic aspects are both vital.