Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy
The European Commission adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Package, which includes revised legislative proposals on waste to stimulate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy which will boost global competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs.
The Circular Economy Package consists of an EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy that establishes a concrete and ambitious programme of action, with measures covering the whole cycle: from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials. The annex to the action plan sets out the timeline when the actions will be completed.
The proposed actions will contribute to ”closing the loop” of product lifecycles through greater recycling and re-use, and bring benefits for both the environment and the economy.
The revised legislative proposals on waste set clear targets for reduction of waste and establish an ambitious and credible long-term path for waste management and recycling. Key elements of the revised waste proposal include:
- A common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2030;
- A common EU target for recycling 75% of packaging waste by 2030;
- A binding landfill target to reduce landfill to maximum of 10% of municipal waste by 2030;
- A ban on landfilling of separately collected waste;
- Promotion of economic instruments to discourage landfilling ;
- Simplified and improved definitions and harmonised calculation methods for recycling rates throughout the EU;
- Concrete measures to promote re-use and stimulate industrial symbiosis – turning one industry’s by-product into another industry’s raw material;
- Economic incentives for producers to put greener products on the market and support recovery and recycling schemes (eg for packaging, batteries, electric and electronic equipments, vehicles).
The following legislative proposals on waste have been adopted
- Proposed Directive on Waste
- Annex to proposed Directive on Waste
- Proposed Directive on Packaging Waste
- Annex to proposed Directive on Packaging Waste
- Proposed Directive on Landfill
- Proposed Directive on electrical and electronic waste, on end-of-life vehicles, and batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators
- Analytical note on waste management targets
- Staff Working Document – Implementation Plan
READ MORE; Complete Guidelines and New Directives of the European Union here
Environment and Energy Fund Denmark – Support validation of Swestep’s process
Copenhagen politicians, just over three years ago, adopted a plan to start kick the recycling of the capital’s waste and limit the incineration. The plan meant that 45 per cent of household waste would be recycled in 2018, against 27 per cent in 2010. According to an evaluation made by the municipal officials January 2016, the goal could be achieved if one could find suitable technology that could produce renewable fuel/gas and fertilizers of food residues and other household waste.
The municipality of Copenhagen is interested in testing the SWESTEP patented Catalytic Pressureless Depolymerization (CDP) Process, which is a ”Liquefaction Technology”. SWESTEP’s technology can offer sustainable renewable fuel production by converting all forms of organic residues and non-fossil fuels, liquid and late-term feedstock to new materials, such as synthesis chemicals, oils and polymers.
The purpose of this project is to validate results from SWESTEP’s technology. The goal is a more cost-effective, climate-friendly and sustainable way of using plastic waste for the production of renewable fuels.