The EU-financed LEVEL-UP project offered circularity protocols and strategies for extending the remaining useful life of large industrial equipment and assets that can no longer remain competitive in the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
European consumers lack the means to improve the durability of their products. In addition to harming the environment by emitting CO2, extracting non-renewable resources unnecessarily and creating waste, premature obsolescence in all its forms affects citizens’ purchasing power, their right to repair and their freedom to make their products last longer.
This white paper aims to give all stakeholders suggestions and ideas to move towards a world in which repair and responsible consumption are the norm. This will necessarily imply new constraints on manufacturers, that can no longer make products without taking durability and repair into account. It will also require new tools to inform citizens so that they are empowered in their consumption choices.
The International E-waste Day initiative on 14 October aims to reduce the environmental burden of e-waste and to save natural resources. TCO Development has launched an e-waste quiz to support educational and awareness-raising activities linked to this initiative.
Recycling Europe (formerly EuRIC) represents the recycling industry at European level and is the leading voice for a competitive European recycling industry, enabling the circular economy and preserving resources for future generations. It:
advocates for conditions that enable recycling and waste management sectors to be competitive, grow and re-invest;
connects the European recycling industries and other circular economy stakeholders;
acts as a trusted partner between the European recycling value chain and policy makers;
Advances the socio-economic, climate and environmental benefits of recycling;
provides specific and cross-sectoral expertise on a broad range of materials, including:
The electrical and electronics industry has been contributing to Europe socially and economically for almost 100 years. However, its production, use and disposal are resource- intensive activities resulting in significant environmental and climate impacts.
This European Environmental Agency (EEA) briefing describes how increasing product lifetime and improving ‘circularity’ are essential steps towards reducing impacts from electronics.
Case studies of 4 different electronic product groups show there is potential for significant increases in their actual lifetime use. Extending the lifetime and delaying the obsolescence of electronics can significantly reduce impacts and contribute to meeting EU environment, climate and circularity objectives.
EU legislation includes recycling targets for municipal, construction and demolition, and electronic waste. This European Environment Agencybriefing shows that there is significant potential to increase recycling from all of these streams.
However, to fully exploit this potential, current barriers need to be overcome. This also requires strong implementation of targeted regulations to increase separate collection.
Implementing new policy measures, some of which are already included in the EU 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan, can both directly and indirectly exploit the potential for increased recycling.
