Parliament adopted comprehensive policy recommendations to achieve a carbon-neutral, sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest.
Parliament urges the Commission to put forward new legislation in 2021, broadening the scope of the Ecodesign Directive to include non-energy-related products. This should set product-specific standards, so that products placed on the EU market perform well, are durable, reusable, can be easily repaired, are not toxic, can be upgraded and recycled, contain recycled content, and are resource- and energy-efficient. Other key recommendations are detailed here.
Read more at:
Circular economy: MEPs call for tighter EU consumption and recycling rules | News | European Parliament
Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recycling. Show all posts
2/23/20
Circular Economics - Recycling: Netherlands in EU top three for recycling, says circular economy report
The Netherlands is in
Europe’s top three for recycling, according to the latest figures
published by the Dutch statistics office.
A report on the ‘circular economy in the Netherlands’ – looking at the
extent to which the country uses raw materials and recycles what it uses
– shows that it is apparently improving.
In 2018 the country consumed around 20% less in materials than in 2000 –
including goods that are used in production. On average, each resident
used 10,000 kilos of materials in 2018 – however another 21,500 kilos
per head were produced, intended for export.
Read more at DutchNews.nl:
Europe’s top three for recycling, according to the latest figures
published by the Dutch statistics office.
A report on the ‘circular economy in the Netherlands’ – looking at the
extent to which the country uses raw materials and recycles what it uses
– shows that it is apparently improving.
In 2018 the country consumed around 20% less in materials than in 2000 –
including goods that are used in production. On average, each resident
used 10,000 kilos of materials in 2018 – however another 21,500 kilos
per head were produced, intended for export.
Read more at DutchNews.nl:
 |
| Upcycle Center Almere |
A report on the ‘circular economy in the Netherlands’ – looking at the extent to which the country uses raw materials and recycles what it uses – shows that it is apparently improving.
In 2018 the country consumed around 20% less in materials than in 2000 – including goods that are used in production. On average, each resident used 10,000 kilos of materials in 2018 – however another 21,500 kilos per head were produced, intended for export.
One example of the many cities in the Netherlands focusing on improving their recycling efforts is the modern city of Almere (population +/-200.000) in the new Dutch province of Flevoland, reclaimed from the Zuiderzee (South Sea), which in 1986 officially became the 12th Dutch Province.
The city of Almere’s ambition is to become a city without waste. The city’s goal is that this year each citizen only produces 50kg of household waste.
At the moment, around 75% of the household waste collected doesn’t belong in it, such as paper, plastic, glass or organic waste. By separating these raw materials, they can be reused, meaning fewer raw materials are needed to create new products.
The municipality is responsible for waste collection in the city,utilizing waste bins and (underground) containers. There are three recycling stations (recyclingperrons) where you can discard your waste for free. And there is a free collection service for bulky waste that may otherwise be difficult to transport.
In addition, the municipality cleans up litter in the city and takes care of illegal dumping.
Almere-Digest
5/4/19
USA recycling: Why is the US so bad at recycling
Why is the US so bad at recycling?
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48127398
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48127398
12/1/14
EU: Upgrade to the circular economy - a new. profitable way to create environmentally clean businesses
In Dublin, Ireland,
like everywhere else in the world, electronics consumption is growing
rapidly, as is the associated waste. But one small business, MicroPro,
has turned this into a business opportunity.
Three years ago, Paul Maher’s company was the very first computer manufacturer to win a European Eco-label. His pcs are 98% recyclable – compared to 38% for conventional equivalents. They use 50% less electricity and the machines don’t contain mercury, lead PVCs or plastics.
Paul Maher and Ann Galligan developed a business model based on after sales service. The aim is to ensure record-breaking longevity for their PCs, said Paul Maher, the Managing Director: “Our computers are upgradeable via a modular design so they are quite easy to repair or update. All our computers are made of wood or reused wood so no two computers will ever look the same.”
This is called the circular economy: almost everything is reusable. At the end of their lives, these eco-pcs can be used as cash registers or emergency lighting.
Today the company employs 25 people and has an annual turnover of 1.5 million euros in Ireland. It is aiming for turnover of 10 million euros in 5 years and hopes to triple its workforce via partnerships across Europe.
Anne Galligan, MicroPro’s Director, said: “Our business model can be replicated all over the world. At the moment we are in talks with various service centers all over Europe so that our Iameco computers can have the same level of service as they have here in Ireland.”
It is estimated that designing durable products and and reusing raw materials could save EU businesses 600 billion euros, ie 8% of their annual turnover and Shane Colgan, the Manager at the Resource Efficiency Unit, at the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland says the approach can work across all types of sectors: “Examples would include car-sharing schemes that we’ve seen across cities in Europe and, for example, a factory in Ireland that converts waste plastics into fleece clothing.”
The transition to a circular economy could produce up to 580,000 jobs in Europe. And all this whilst still combating global warming.
Shane Colgan said that the circular economy really is a win-win situation: “The European commission have said that in the period up to 2030 we’ll be able to reduce EU carbon emissions by 450 million tonnes per year through the circular economy.”
Read more: Upgrade to the circular economy | euronews, business planet
Three years ago, Paul Maher’s company was the very first computer manufacturer to win a European Eco-label. His pcs are 98% recyclable – compared to 38% for conventional equivalents. They use 50% less electricity and the machines don’t contain mercury, lead PVCs or plastics.
Paul Maher and Ann Galligan developed a business model based on after sales service. The aim is to ensure record-breaking longevity for their PCs, said Paul Maher, the Managing Director: “Our computers are upgradeable via a modular design so they are quite easy to repair or update. All our computers are made of wood or reused wood so no two computers will ever look the same.”
This is called the circular economy: almost everything is reusable. At the end of their lives, these eco-pcs can be used as cash registers or emergency lighting.
Today the company employs 25 people and has an annual turnover of 1.5 million euros in Ireland. It is aiming for turnover of 10 million euros in 5 years and hopes to triple its workforce via partnerships across Europe.
Anne Galligan, MicroPro’s Director, said: “Our business model can be replicated all over the world. At the moment we are in talks with various service centers all over Europe so that our Iameco computers can have the same level of service as they have here in Ireland.”
It is estimated that designing durable products and and reusing raw materials could save EU businesses 600 billion euros, ie 8% of their annual turnover and Shane Colgan, the Manager at the Resource Efficiency Unit, at the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland says the approach can work across all types of sectors: “Examples would include car-sharing schemes that we’ve seen across cities in Europe and, for example, a factory in Ireland that converts waste plastics into fleece clothing.”
The transition to a circular economy could produce up to 580,000 jobs in Europe. And all this whilst still combating global warming.
Shane Colgan said that the circular economy really is a win-win situation: “The European commission have said that in the period up to 2030 we’ll be able to reduce EU carbon emissions by 450 million tonnes per year through the circular economy.”
Read more: Upgrade to the circular economy | euronews, business planet
11/7/13
Recycling and Waste Management: EU recycling industry could create an additional 160,000 jobs by 2020
Recycling could create at least an additional 160.000 jobs in a circular economy say executives at WRAP a British advisory company which works with a wide range of partners, from major UK businesses, trade
bodies and local authorities through to individuals looking for
practical advice on recyclin. They are funded by all four governments across the UK and the EU and run programs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
As a practical example of a circular economy - Norway, along with many other northern European countries, has built a network of cogeneration plants that produce heat and electricity from recycled waste. Referred to as waste-to-energy facilities, the process is relatively simple. Garbage is burned in a portion of the facility, creating steam, ash and flue gases. The facility collects the steam and uses it to turn turbines, which generates the electricity used throughout much of the country. The ash is trucked away to a landfill, while the remaining gases are either filtered and dispersed into the atmosphere, or collected and used for additional products like biofuel.
With a growing recycling infrastructure diverting more European waste from landfills, as well as systems R&D investments from integrated waste handling firms the EU could eventually be turning their waste into gold and jobs.
EU-Digest
A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
As a practical example of a circular economy - Norway, along with many other northern European countries, has built a network of cogeneration plants that produce heat and electricity from recycled waste. Referred to as waste-to-energy facilities, the process is relatively simple. Garbage is burned in a portion of the facility, creating steam, ash and flue gases. The facility collects the steam and uses it to turn turbines, which generates the electricity used throughout much of the country. The ash is trucked away to a landfill, while the remaining gases are either filtered and dispersed into the atmosphere, or collected and used for additional products like biofuel.
With a growing recycling infrastructure diverting more European waste from landfills, as well as systems R&D investments from integrated waste handling firms the EU could eventually be turning their waste into gold and jobs.
EU-Digest
11/16/11
Pollution - Myth: Paper is Better Than Plastic
Paper and plastic bags are roughly equal in pros and cons. While they are convenient addictions, they both gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution. When faced with the question of paper or plastic, the answer should always be neither. Whether you’re replacing paper bags with an EarthTote or plastic bags with a Workhorse, choosing a high-quality reusable bag helps you to avoid using thousands of disposable bags each year.
For more: Myth: Paper is Better Than Plastic - reuseit.com
For more: Myth: Paper is Better Than Plastic - reuseit.com
3/19/07
letsrecycle.com - Germany to push recycling ahead of "thirsty" EfW plants
For the complete report from letsrecycle.com click on this link
Germany to push recycling ahead of "thirsty" EfW plants
A move towards boosting the role of recycling in the face of pressures to burn waste for energy has been signalled by the German government as it heads towards accepting a waste hierarchy that puts recycling above energy from waste. And, Germany, which currently holds the Presidency of the EU, has also said that it would like to see a move towards "high quality recycling" across Europe. This could lead to the UK requiring more separate collections of waste paper from households.
The German announcement in Berlin concerning the revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive comes as the UK’s paper sector is supporting the Campaign for Clean Recycling, whose aims includes getting paper collected separately from households.
3/16/07
CNNMoney: The end of garbage - Marc Gunther
For the complete report from CNNMoney click on this link
The end of garbage - Marc Gunther
In 1989, America had garbage on its mind. A barge called the Mobro had carried 3,000 tons of unwanted trash up an down the East Coast. California told its cities to recycle 50% of their garbage by 2000 or face steep fines. The national recycling rate was only 16%.
Today San Francisco has a recycling rate of 68%, the best of any American city, and it intends to do better. Much better. San Francisco and Wal-Mart (Charts) do not have much in common, but there is this: Both have a goal of achieving zero waste. So do cities and towns from Boulder and Carrboro, N.C., to Buenos Aires and Canberra, as well as a surprising number of businesses, including Toyota, Nike, and Xerox.
Zero waste is just what it sounds like - producing, consuming, and recycling products without throwing anything away. Getting to a wasteless world will require nothing less than a total makeover of the global economy, which thinkers such as entrepreneur Paul Hawken, consultant Amory Lovins, and architect William McDonough have called the Next Industrial Revolution. They want industry to mimic biology, where one species' excrement is another's food. "We're not talking here about eliminating waste," McDonough explains. "We're talking about eliminating the entire concept of waste."
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