The European Commission’s (EC) Circular Economy Package will be released on 2 December, according to the EC’s Director of Green Economy, Kęsţutis Sadauskas.
Sadauskas was giving the keynote speech at the second day of the Scottish Resources Conference this morning (8 October), when he gave the date – the first time a specific date has been suggested.
He told delegates at the conference that an emphasis on separate collections was needed in order to improve the secondary materials markets by increasing the quality of paper, plastic, glass and metal.
The message echoed what former Director-General of Environment Karl Falkenberg told last month’s RWM Exhibition, when he criticised the UK’s aversion to separate collection.
Sadauskas also said that legislation on food waste would be included in the package after the public consultation held between May and August this year highlighted the need to act on European levels of food waste.
Food waste was a priority mentioned in WRAP’s response to the consultation, which called on the EC to introduce measures to develop accurate measurements of food waste arisings, focus on food waste prevention actions and to drive action from all sectors of society including government, business and consumers.
The EC originally announced plans for the Circular Economy Package in 2014. In a highly criticised move, it withdrew its original plan in December, however, saying that it wanted to rework the bid to include ‘more ambitious’ proposals.
In July, MEPs backed a resolution that suggested binding recycling targets of 70 per cent for municipal solid waste and 80 per cent for packaging waste by 2030, and limits of incineration to non-recyclable waste after 2020.
Read more responses to the Circular Economy Package consultation.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.