Founded in 2012‚ "Reinwerfen statt Wegwerfen" is a voluntary initiative of Austrian businesses, based on an agreement between Austrian social partners and the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism to improve the ecological performance of packaging by creating public awareness, preventing and reducing littering and promoting the separate collection and recycling of packaging.
8 billion plastic bags end up in the environment in Europe every year. They have dramatic impacts on the environment, and especially on marine ecosystems, killing every year thousands of marine animals, and affecting no less than 260 different species.
Avec 1784 contributions et 16071 votes enregistrés, la première phase de la consultation du public pour l’élaboration de la feuille de route économie circulaire a été un succès.
Founded in 2015, the Circular Economy Coalition for Europe is a platform of scientists and universities in the fields of resource management, waste management and anthropogenic metabolism. Working to support the transformation of the EU to an effective and efficient circular economy, the experts provide the European institutions, national decision-makers, businesses and the interested public with facts and data based on scientific methods and evidence.
Laura Cutaia, researcher at ENEA, is an Environmental Engineer (1996) with a PhD in raw materials engineering (2002). Her main research topics are:
Laura Cutaia is responsible for making the most of resources at ENEA , where she is working on the circular economy and resource efficiency, industrial ecology and symbiosis, LCA, environmental certification schemes, the REACH regulation and sustainable industrial areas (more information).
Laura Cutaia is also president of SUN - Symbiosis Users Network (Italian network for industrial symbiosis) and president of UNI CT 057 on the circular economy that works with ISO TC 323 on the circular economy. UNI is the Italian body responsible for standardisation.
As is the case with Mr. Jourdain, who was unaware of what he was writing, industries involved in packaging have already implemented the circular economy model. Results in material recycling are relevant proof thereof. Industries are not getting involved in this process out for ideological reasons but because it often makes sense from an economical point of view. Since we were lucky enough not to be starting from scratch, we offered a tangible approach through illustration for each main material and/or packaging category from: glass to paper, cardboard, food cartons, steel, aluminum, wood, and plastic materials. This also includes the energy consumed by the different materials and the waste produced by all the different activities involved. By digesting some of the best existing or developing practices, we wish to make the circular economy model a fully-fledged part of the packaging sector.
As an adviser for environmental and climate policy, Leon de Graaf particularly follows policies related to the circular economy, trade and climate, low-emission mobility, implementation of the Paris climate agreement (COP21) and the European emission trading system (EU ETS). He is also deputy manager of BusinessEurope's corporate Advisory and Support Group (ASGroup). Prior to joining BusinessEurope, Leon worked at the research consultancy Ecorys, focusing on renewable energy and international development issues, at DG COMP on energy and environmental subsidies in Europe, and at the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on indirect ETS costs for energy-intensive industries. Leon has a MSc in environmental economics and climate change from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in business economics from the University of Groningen.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK charity which aims to speed up the transition to the circular economy. Since it was set up, the charity has emerged as a global thought leader, putting the circular economy on the agenda of decision makers across business, government and academia.
Carsten Wachholz joined the Foundation in 2020 after spending two years working for the European Investment Bank on Corporate Responsibility and another four years working for the European Environmental Bureau on the first EU Circular Economy Action Plan. Carsten leads the Foundation's newly established Brussels-based team supporting the development of circular economy policies at EU and international level (e.g. G20, OECD), in close collaboration with the Foundation's systemic initiatives on plastics, fashion and food.
Every year in Rostock, Veolia converts 1 billion PET drinks bottles into so-called recyclate from which preforms/bottles can again be manufactured.
24 Kton annualy will be converted into LDPE re-granulate in the new recycling factory Attero is building in Wijster. Contaminated film is cleaned and turned into a high quality and odorless re-granulate.
Mosca's PET strap is made from 100% recycled material: the so-called "bottle flakes" are a result of recycled plastic bottles coming from the empties of discounters.
The LIFE RECYPACK project will implement a new public-private waste management project for commercial plastic packages in line with the circular economy criteria.
Reducing marine litter: action on single use plastics and fishing gear
The Circulars: the People’s Choice Award
The Commission's Plastic Strategy in early 2018 will address possible approaches to address some single-use plastic items and marine litter including lost or abandoned fishing gear.
The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission reach agreement to revise EU waste processing legislation, paving the way for a more circular economy.
The HOTBIN is an innovative hot compost bin that super heats your food and garden waste to 60°c. It can suit not only individual needs, but also the needs of sport clubs, canteens or schools, mixing food waste with biodegradable plastics.
Circular Glasgow, hosted by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, will connect with companies across the city helping them to open up new revenue streams, increase competitive advantage and realise financial savings using a range of practical tools.
Eco-contribution is mandatory in France for the packaging industry, as an incentive for improving recyclability from the start. The Modulated Eco-Contribution Scale is an educational and financial incentive tool promoting the development of eco-design. In order to facilitate maximum recycling of paper fibres, manufacturers must adopt best practices and manage materials so as to preserve quality.
BREAD4PLA is a project conducted by a consortium of four European organisation led by AIMPLAS.
It seeked to demonstrate, in a pre-productive pilot plant process, the viability of poly(lactic acid), a bioplastic polymer (PLA), synthesized from waste products of the bakery industry for the production of bakery packaging.
In 2017, Ecoembes launched its pioneering circular economy project in Europe, TheCircularLab, which will involve all phases of packaging from creation, via ecodesign, up to the reintroduction of our products into the consumption cycle. TheCircularLab aims to turn the La Rioja region into a great centre for experimentation by enabling innovations to be tested on a real scale.
Secondary raw materials have a place of their own in the economy, but sourcing them or selling them can prove difficult in the absence of a structured market. MarketPlaceHub offers great visibility and search options for those economic operators needing easier market identification.
