Weekly Bulletin on Circular Waste Management #27-2024

South Africa

·?????? Applications are open. Enter the #cocreate Circular Design Challenge 2024. Are you a Cape Town-based innovator, entrepreneur, SMME or non-profit organisation passionate about driving positive change in South Africa which builds a future that protects our environment and livelihoods? Do you have innovative ideas to address key challenges in Circular Design? If so, we invite you to apply for the #cocreate Circular Design Challenge 2024. The?Mission Network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa ?is pleased to announce the launch of our #cocreate Circular Design Challenge 2024, organised in collaboration with the?Craft and Design Institute ?(CDI). More to read: https://www.thecdi.org.za/page/CCDC

·?????? Join the webinar on transition to a circular economy in South Africa. More to read: ?https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/circular-south-africa-csa_join-us-for-the-circular-lunch-club-on-25-activity-7213836656800387072-LFj5

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France

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·?????? Measuring progress towards a circular economy and assessing the relevance of circular models. To help companies face their challenges and questions on circularity measurement and relevance, Circul'R launched the Circularity Measurement Coalition in March 2023 and joined by 16 international French companies pioneering the circular transition of their sector. The ambition of the coalition was to identify key indicators to measure circularity and to evaluate the relevance of circular business models as well as give guidelines for any compagnies, of all sizes and sectors, on how to use them. The coalition goal is to propose indicators, tools and business cases to guide and help companies to select the most accurate indicators among the existing pool to start their journey and continuous improvement towards circular businesses. More to read: https://lancement.circul-r.com/guide-mesurer-la-circularite

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·?????? National consultation: Texts adopted pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries, waste batteries and extended producer responsibility for batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment and on various provisions for adapting to the waste policy. n particular, the regulation provides for the extension of the PWR sector for batteries (until now applicable to portable batteries) to all batteries, grouped into five categories: portable batteries, light transport batteries (LTM), starting/lighting/ignition (SLI) batteries, industrial batteries and electric vehicle batteries. More to read: https://www.consultations-publiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/textes-pris-en-application-du-reglement-ue-2023-a3039.html?lang=fr

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·?????? the companies Ennea Groupe and Néo-Eco via its subsidiary Bringback have signed a partnership around the reconditioning/regeneration of batteries. More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/douai/actualites-Ennea-Groupe-et-Neo-Eco

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·?????? FEDEREC is the French Professional Federation of Recycling Companies, bringing together 1,200 companies, from very small businesses to large groups, those activities consist of the collection, sorting, material recovery of industrial and household waste or the trading/brokerage of raw materials from recycling. FEDEREC is strongly opposes the right of preference of car manufacturers in the context of the end of life vehicle (ELV) EPR scheme. While a consensus seemed to have been reached, the Renault Group has introduced preferential rights clauses in its standard contracts with the ELV centres and shredders, unlike some individual PROs. This initiative, targeting valuable materials, threatens the viability of the overall recycling industry. FEDEREC considers that the right of preference runs counter to the principle of ELV EPR, which aims to combat and improve environmental performance. In addition, it raises significant competition concerns without improving the recyclability of products. More to read: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7214994200293969921/

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·?????? The new decree implementing article 58 of the anti-waste law for a circular economy) comes into force. This system requires the State, communities and their groups to acquire goods from reuse, reused or containing recycled material. The main changes to the decree are as follows: Simplify the system to improve its readability and effectiveness, Introduce obligations staggered over time to give greater visibility to public buyers and economic operators, Introduce obligations on new types of products (green space maintenance materials, sports items and equipment, etc.) in line with the creation of so-called extended producer responsibility sectors, Allow public buyers to promote the donation in achieving their objectives. It follows an evaluation report submitted to Parliament (https://lnkd.in/exFkTm7b ), surveys carried out among buyers and suppliers as well as a public consultation. More to read: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000049184670

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·?????? Ban on disposable plastic cups validated by the Council of State. Despite objections from distributors and manufacturers, the French Council of State recently confirmed the legality of the gradual ban on disposable plastic cups. This decision, motivated by the need to reduce plastic pollution, raises complex issues combining European law, environmental protection and economic fairness. Despite the objections of milk drink distributors, the High Court ruled that the restriction imposed on the plastic content of cups, gradually decreasing until the complete ban, is in line with the objective of reducing plastic consumption. This graduated approach ensures a smooth transition to more sustainable solutions while taking into account technical and economic constraints. In response to?objections concerning the unequal treatment between plastic cups, plastic bottles and food containers, the Council of State emphasizes that this differentiation is justified by environmental considerations specific to each product. Thus, European regulations allow for differentiated treatment according to the specific environmental impacts of each product category. More to read: https://www.zero-dechet-sauvage.org/actualites/interdiction-gobelets-jetables-plastique

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·?????? A decision reinforces the urgency of rethinking our habits and turning to sustainable alternatives. ?ReFeR-BTP project is implemented. The study on the composition and conditions of use of an alternative material from the recycling of inert waste from waste collection centres. The ReFeR-BTP project is dedicated to the development of a new construction material made from inert waste collected in public and professional waste collection centres. This recycled material is designed to be used as an alternative material for cost-effective platform layout. The studies carried out as part of this project have made it possible to identify the recyclable part of the waste deposit and the treatment techniques necessary for its development. The project promotes the development of the circular economy in the public works sector and contributes to its decarbonisation. More to read: https://www.cerema.fr/fr/actualites/projet-refer-btp-etude-composition-conditions-emploi

EU & Other countries

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·?????? The new European regulation on the ecodesign of sustainable products has just been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. What are the main changes brought about by this regulation? This regulation provides for ecodesign requirements for various product groups: minimum criteria such as the percentage of recycled content, carbon footprint and water consumption will be set for each product. These requirements will: Exclude from the market products with the most impact on the environment, Better inform consumers through a "digital product passport" indicating the presence of substances of concern, the carbon footprint, the reparability and recyclability of each product. The regulation prohibits the destruction of unsold goods for the clothing and shoes of large companies in the first instance. It also offers the possibility to adopt criteria for green public procurement. More to read: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401781

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Just ecological transition, defence and finance: here is the EU's Strategic Agenda 2024-2029. Every five years, EU leaders agree on?the Union's political priorities?for the future. A "collective effort" led by the President of the?European Council?that takes place in the context of the elections to the Parliament and before the appointment of the Commission. The?strategic agenda?for 2024-2029 was adopted at the Council meeting on 27 June 2024. "In the face of a new geopolitical reality, the Strategic Agenda will contribute to making Europe more sovereign and better equipped to face future challenges," the Council said. In the pre-election climate and during the process for the appointment of the new (or renewed) leaders of the European institutions, there has been much discussion about a possible solution of continuity with the?objectives of the Green Deal. What does the Strategic Agenda say about this? More to read: https://economiacircolare.com/agenda-strategica-ue-2024-2029/

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·?????? The Council of the European Union adopted a General Approach on the draft directive on explicit environmental claims and environmental labels. In particular, this text provides clarifications concerning a simplified procedure allowing a company to use explicit environmental claims "that do not require a full life cycle analysis to be substantiated". The following is an excerpt from these clarifications: For certain types of explicit environmental claims that are less complex in nature, a third-party auditor audit or a full assessment of the rationale is not considered necessary in light of the objectives of this directive. Instead, a simplified procedure ... should be applied in which the trader demonstrates that he or she meets certain substantiation requirements by means of a self-declaration in a specific technical documentation. ? This is to reduce the administrative and financial burden for professionals generating claims.? More to read: ??https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/ronans%C3%A9bilo_green-claims-le-conseil-de-lunion-activity-7209197393437700099-_EB0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

·?????? With the EU’s objective of making all plastic recyclable and reusable by 2030, and the new requirements for integrating the recycled content in beverage bottles, companies strive to transition from linear towards a?circular economy?- multiplying the number of environmental claims on plastic packaging. In addition to the legislative pressure, the brand owners and retailers are faced with consumers looking for products with lower environmental impact. All this prompts?the need for reliable certification and labelling of environmental claims?to prove sustainability and eliminate greenwashing based on void declarations used purely as a marketing tool without reducing the impact on the environment. RecyClass Certifications are voluntary?audit schemes, that demonstrate the degree of recyclability of plastic packaging and recycled content of plastics used in products. Certification schemes are owned by Plastics Recyclers Europe, managed by RecyClass and issued by?third-party recognised Certification Bodies. More to read: https://recyclass.eu/get-certified/

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·?????? European Parliament research puts forward requirements of a digital product passport (DDP) for textiles. Report suggests mechanism for tracking garments should start by 2027, laddering up to a full circular DPP by 2033. More to read: https://resource.co/article/european-parliament-research-puts-forward-requirements-digital-product-passport-textiles

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·?????? CIEL report lays out roadmap for paying for pollution. The Center for International Environmental Law has released a report detailing how local governments in USA can pursue compensation for the effects of plastic pollution, mostly via legal action against plastic producers and brand owners. More to read: https://resource--recycling-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/resource-recycling.com/plastics/2024/07/02/ciel-report-lays-out-roadmap-for-paying-for-pollution/amp/

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