EU circular economy’s REACH for the stars
As the EU doubles down on its waste management efforts and sets its sights on tackling plastic waste, the idea of a circular economy and internal market for recycling is gathering momentum. But it will not be an easy task for lawmakers or industry to realise.
Since the beginning of 2018, the European Union has rubber-stamped updated waste management rules that govern recycling targets and landfill allowances, as well as publishing its long-awaited Plastics Strategy.
Both those packages of measures include a number of goals related to recycling and reuse, as well as setting out a roadmap to reduce single-use plastics and ban oxo-biodegradable plastics.
Industry leaders hope to take advantage of this formative period in policymaking to ensure that a profitable internal market is set up, especially since China decided to ban the import of plastics and other waste at the beginning of this year.
The Chinese waste import ban has been hailed as “an opportunity” by the European Commission and the race is now on to either increase recycling capacity in Europe or find alternative markets for the continent’s waste.
