The circular economy has become a key part of the sustainable transformation of regions. The German Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building is leading the new Territorial Agenda pilot project. This scheme supports the development and implementation of strategic circular economy concepts in rural areas in Germany and Europe.
The pilot project is now establishing a partnership, and a call for funding for four German regions is ongoing. European regions and organisations are invited to declare their interest in joining the partnership.
In December 2021 the Commission adopted a revised Recommendation on the use of Environmental Footprint methods, helping companies calculate their environmental performance based on reliable, verifiable and comparable information. The 2nd public consultation on the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for apparel and footwear is now live and will be open until 28 April 2024.
Ms Ettinger is a lawyer in Germany and holds a Master of Law degree from George Mason University (USA). Before joining EuRIC, she worked at a Brussels-based consultancy, advising multinational companies on environmental, health and safety matters.
EuRIC is a confederation which represents the interests of European recycling industries within the EU. It spans the majority of waste streams, and so can facilitate cooperation between national recycling and resource management federations and companies from over 23 European countries, operating both locally and globally.
EuRIC represents:
5 500+ companies generating an aggregated annual turnover of about €95 billion, including large companies and SMEs involved in the recycling of and trade in various resource streams
300 000 local jobs which cannot be outsourced to non-EU countries
a million tons of waste recycled each year (metals, paper, glass, plastics, WEEE, ELVs, tyres, textiles, construction & demolition, etc.).
By turning waste into resources, recycling loops recycled materials back into value chains. Recyclers play a key role in bridging resource efficiency, climate change policy and the industrial transition.
The European Commission is calling on European cities committed to sustainability to apply for the 2026 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards. The call for applications is open until 30 April 2024.
SUSTAINair is a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. It aims to revolutionise aviation through groundbreaking technologies and impactful solutions.
Circular Aviation in the EU, SUSTAINair’s final conference, will bring together researchers, industry leaders and stakeholders to discuss the future of aviation sustainability. This flagship event will take place in Vienna on 11-12 June.
Climate Action Week for Fashion & Apparel will take place on 18 to 22 March, organised by the Scandinavian Textile Initiative for Climate Action (STICA).
Linked to the BATRAW project that develops circular approaches for electric vehicle batteries, this CEPS report delves into the new EU regulatory framework for batteries and the expanding EU digital product passport landscape. It identifies key opportunities and challenges for battery passports based on data collected from companies at different stages of the battery value chain.
The data suggest that the battery passport can help break down information silos among supply chain actors and support recycling and reuse. It also provides opportunities for increasing transparency about carbon footprint impacts across battery supply chains, while creating a level playing field with horizontal requirements for all supply chain actors.
This briefing looks into how circular economy and waste sector policies and measures can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It analyses how European countries include circular economy and waste actions in their reporting on climate change mitigation policies and measures and how the introduction of additional measures can help accelerate future reductions of GHG emissions.
The briefing finds that waste management and the circular economy have considerable potential for mitigating climate change. Therefore, countries would benefit from including policies and measures in these areas in their climate policy mix.
EU policymakers recently decided to introduce a direct ban on the destruction of textiles and footwear, with some exemptions for small, micro and medium-sized companies.
In this briefing, the EEA takes stock of what is currently known about the volumes and destruction of returned and unsold textiles in Europe. The growth of online shopping, flexible return practices, changed consumer preferences and fast-fashion business strategies in Europe have resulted in increased shares of returned and unsold textiles.
Over the past years, fast fashion and luxury brands have been reported as destroying returned or unsold clothing, shoes and other textiles. Textile product destruction is a very good example of a ‘take-make-waste’ approach.
