PPWR deal: good steps to reduce packaging waste despite worrying exemptions, says Zero Waste Europe
The final round of talks took place last night in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) which saw good steps to tackle Europe’s ongoing packaging waste crisis, despite some clear losses, says Zero Waste Europe. The conclusion of the long-awaited revision of EU packaging rules puts forward measures to ban certain unnecessary packaging, impose […]
‘All we need is less’ – Zero Waste Europe demands urgent action on fashion frenzy stripping the planet off its finite resources
A new paper by Zero Waste Europe is demanding a concerted effort by governments to bring the fashion textile sector back in harmony with planetary boundaries, outlining a list of entry points for the transition towards sufficiency. The paper, entitled “A Zero Waste Vision for Fashion” examines the building blocks for a sustainable transition in […]
Reusable take-away packaging has significant potential to reduce carbon footprint vs single-use options
Reusable take-away packaging could present a compelling climate case over single-use alternatives if return and washing systems are properly implemented and optimised, according to a new study today from Zero Waste Europe, Reloop, and TOMRA. In nearly all types of packaging examined it found that reusable packaging can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared […]
Incineration Residues: the dust under the carpet
New research published today by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) finds that waste incineration generates significant quantities of hazardous and non-hazardous residues, much of which are landfilled. The study done by Equanimator Ltd shows that municipal waste incineration generates over 12 million tons of bottom ash and around 2 million tons of air pollution control residues. Moreover, incineration and combustion of all wastes […]
Time to acknowledge the role of Deposit Refund Systems (DRS) in achieving a Circular Economy for beverage packaging in the EU
Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE), UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and Zero Waste Europe call on the EU to facilitate the beverage industry’s transition to circularity by developing a legal framework for setting up new efficient DRS for beverage packaging. Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE), UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) urge the EU to acknowledge the role of Deposit Refund […]
A Just Transition has to be Circular, Members of the European Parliament agree
The European Parliament’s plenary vote yesterday made clear that a circular economy is a precondition for a just energy transition in Europe – a positive step that couples climate solutions with zero waste solutions and points towards stronger circularity in the future. Yesterday’s vote by the European Parliament (1) narrowly avoided presenting incineration and Waste-to-Energy as a […]
The packaging free shops market is on the rise, now it’s time for policy measures to support it
Zero Waste Europe releases the first ever European study on the current state of play and potential growth for the packaging free shops market. As statistics show, every European inhabitant produces 173 kg of packaging waste every year (1). The only way to address this problem is with waste prevention measures that stop packaging waste from being […]
Plastic crisis: taxes are vital to cut pollution, but EU plans fall short, new study finds
Taxing plastics can help lead to a responsible use of the material by triggering the necessary reduction of both production and consumption, a new report finds. However, a plastic tax will only work if designed to influence producer and consumer behaviour, rather than raising revenue. The study “The price is right … or is it? The […]
