This document compiles a set of country-specific reports describing the progress made by each European country towards waste prevention and decoupling of waste generation. Each report explains their national waste prevention programmes and food waste prevention and product reuse policies with a view to the circular economy.
Separate links are offered in the document for each country report.
This report proposes a new framework for monitoring waste prevention. The framework consists of three clusters of indicators:
the system where prevention is implemented
policy enablers focusing on waste prevention measures, and
waste prevention outcomes.
Given that waste prevention occurs over time, this report seeks to assess longer term trends in waste prevention.
This comprehensive monitoring framework allows for a broader understanding of waste generation and prevention. However, the data collected were not sufficient for an in-depth analysis of waste prevention progress or for assessing the effectiveness of specific prevention measures. For a deeper analysis, more specific data and information need to be collected across EU countries in a systematic and harmonised way.
The EU economy uses unsustainably large amounts of materials. In 2021, only 11.7% of these materials came from recycled waste. This share of recycled material is known as the circular material use rate (CMUR) and over the last 20 years it has increased only slightly. The EU’s circular economy action plan aims to double that share by 2030.
This briefing looks at trends in the EU’s circular material use rate and the environmental impacts of material use. It also analyses the EU’s prospects for reaching its 2030 target. Efforts should focus on reducing use and increasing recycling of non-metallic minerals — such as construction materials — as these account for about half of all materials used.
At the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Eva leads the Circular Economy team, which is active in cross-cutting policy areas which influence the transition towards a truly circular economy. The EEB is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations with over 180 members in more than 40 countries.
Prior to working at the EEB, Eva spent over 10 years as an EU policy consultant, working with major companies and trade associations in the Brussels bubble. She has also worked for the European Commission and the UN in Lebanon and spent four years working in China.
She studied economics and graduated with a Master’s Degree in resources, development and growth from Tilburg University in the Netherlands.
Exponential demand for critical materials, driven by the energy transition, may trigger supply chain problems. Circular economy business models could help decouple the renewable energy sector from material consumption. However, with major economic, regulatory and financial barriers, the sector's transition sector towards a circular economy still has a long way to go.
This report, commissioned by the Green Purposes Company and prepared by the Gate C consulting firm, proposes an action plan for the renewable energy sector which will enable it to be fully aligned with the principles of a circular economy and to reap its benefits. It is critical that in helping to address climate change, the renewable energy sector does not inadvertently drive environmental problems elsewhere.
This webinar on 7 June aims to take stock of the current EU instruments which may be mobilised by insect producers in order to stimulate the EU bioeconomy, and thereby foster the creation of ‘innovative supply chains’ and ‘green jobs’ in European rural areas.
Furthermore, the event explores avenues for developing new EU measures to unleash the potential of the insect sector in stimulating the bioeconomy as well as in diversifying and boosting the domestic production of proteins in Europe.
The Economy of Francesco is a platform set up upon a call from Pope Francis for young entrepreneurs, researchers and economists to work together to transform today’s economy with a view to combating the culture of waste and promoting social justice.
The initial call received over 3000 applications from 120 countries, showing that there is a whole community that feels deeply about this. Annual events are in line with the Ecology of Francesco's principles for reduced environmental impact.
EoF provides a regular programme of initiatives organised at regional or local level in the form of workshops, laboratories, seminars, conferences, round tables, calls for action and much more.
This revised monitoring framework measures progress towards the circular economy considering the interlinkages between circularity and the EU’s climate neutrality goal, the zero-pollution ambition for a healthier and fairer planet, competitiveness, sustainability and securing materials supply.
