Weekly Bulletin on Circular Waste Management in Africa and OECD countries

South Africa

·?????? Circular South Africa Lunch Club – EPR. This month’s session will focus on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and its regulatory framework in South Africa. The discussion will cover the benefits and challenges of EPR implementation, offering insights into its impact on the industry. More to read and register: https://circularsouthafrica.co.za/csa_events/

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·?????? Pick n Pay empowers shoppers in the fight against e-waste, while supporting job creation. So far, 29 bins are located near the entrance or inside of Pick n Pay stores, mostly in Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal, with more to be rolled out in the Free State, Northern Region and Western Cape stores within the coming months. The Global E-waste Monitor reported that by 2022, the world had generated 62 billion kg of e-waste, or an average of 7.8 kg per person, and just 22.3 percent of this waste was documented as properly collected and recycled. In collaboration with EWaste Africa and the E-waste Recycling Authority (ERA), the initiative aims to empower customers to dispose of electronic devices and appliances responsibly, promote sustainable practices, and foster job creation. More to read: https://retailbriefafrica.co.za/pick-n-pay-empowers-shoppers-in-the-fight-against-e-waste-while-supporting-job-creation/

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·?????? Welcome to the 6th?biennial conference of the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), taking place at the CSIR ICC in Pretoria, South Africa, on 11 and 12 September 2024. This year, the NCPC-SA is honored to include the collaboration of UNIDO Global Eco-Industrial Parks Program funded by SECO and the GIZ Sustainable Industrial Areas Program into the event, to create an impactful international conference aimed at advancing the circular economy and building resilience in industrial stakeholders in the face of the Just Transition and decarbonisation agendas. The result is the?Sustainable Industries Conference South Africa, a truly international, yet locally relevant discussion on circularity and decarbonisation in industry. Highlights of the event include: Hard-hitting discussion on the real meaning of climate change and the imperative for decarbonisation in industry, A look at enabling tools for applying circularity and know carbon methodologies, Global examples of eco-industrial approaches in industrial spaces, Practical applications and case studies, Access to green finance and Sector-specific workshops on metals and clothing & textiles. More to read: https://www.industrialefficiency.co.za/conference/about/

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France

·?????? Effectiveness of public policies and household behavior. More to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS66poLL1MI

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·?????? Positions of the recycled plastic task force. The members of this taskforce estimate that they represent?about 85% of regeneration capacity?of plastic waste in France for all the PRMs they produce. More to read: https://www.srprecycle.com/donnees-techniques

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·?????? Fostering and slackening consumption, downstream and upstream: Consumer's roles in French circular economy. Based on a mixed qualitative-quantitative method, this study explores consumer participation in the circular economy. A comprehensive framework of circular consumption helps understanding how circular consumption practices are performed. Qualitative findings reveal that formal schemes backed by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation engage consumer in circular fostering consumption. However, quantitative results highlight that circular consumption in second hand circulation also follow informal paths, and can involve consumption slackening through repair and care for products. The study suggests to promote circular practices beyond formal schemes, consider incentives for secondhand purchases, and foster a culture of repair. Leveraging these opportunities can contribute to a comprehensive transition towards a circular economy in France. More to read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624023333#sec2

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·?????? Guide des logiciels d’écoconception 2024. More to read?: ?https://www.grandest.cci.fr/guide-des-logiciels-decoconception

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·?????? Can the oyster shell become an essential product of regional development? a university professor at the ISA BTP at the University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), dreams of it. For years, he has been studying the remarkable properties of mother-of-pearl. He and his team have developed an aggregate made from crushed shells, compatible with low-carbon cements. From a chemical point of view, nature always works with the simplest elements. Will this sustainable concrete become the norm one day? For the time being, the civil engineering industry remains measured, highlighting obvious safety reasons. More to read: https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fenviropro-salon.com%2Ffr-fr%2Ftoulouse%2Factualites-le-materiau-naturel-le-plus-resistant&data=05%7C02%7C

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·?????? Battery Valley: Norway's Hydrovolt to open its first recycling plant for E car lithium-ion. More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/douai/actualites-Vallee-de-la-batterie--le-norvegien-Hydrovolt-va-ouvrir-sa-premiere-usine-de-recyclage

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·?????? Circular CO2: inauguration in the Grand Est of a first in France! A first in France, the anaerobic digestion sector goes even further in the circular economy by recovering the CO2 from its activity for the agri-food sector! More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/nancy/actualites-Du-CO2-circulaire--inauguration-en-Grand-Est-d-une-premiere-en-France--

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·?????? More than 100 homes built with second-hand materials in Stains. The objective of the project was to devote 1% of the cost of the work to the purchase of materials from reuse and reuse, 20% to the purchase of reuse and recycling materials for outdoor spaces, and to use at least 5% recycled and local materials in the concrete throughout the program. A total of 16 products and materials (reuse, end-of-stock, reuse, order error) were used, 735 tons of raw materials were saved, and 131 tons of CO2 were avoided through reuse. More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/douai/actualites-Plus-de-100-logements-construits-avec-des-materiaux-de-seconde-main-a-Stains

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·?????? Draft order amending the order of 12 December 2022 on data from extended producer responsibility (EPR) sectors is available for public comments. Law No. 2020-105 of 10 February 2020 on the fight against waste and the circular economy (AGEC law) provides for various reporting mechanisms to improve the transparency of extended producer responsibility (EPR) sectors. It provides that producers subject to the EPR principle and their PROs must transmit each year to the authority responsible for monitoring and observing EPR sectors, i.e. the Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (ADEME), the information mentioned in Articles L. 541-10-13 and L. 541-10-14 of the Environmental Code, respectively. The law also provides for the provision by PROs of the information referred to in Article L. 541-10-15 of the same code, in an open format that can be reused by any person. Article L. 541-15-2 of the Code, introduced by the same law, also provides that the PROs are to transmit each year to the regions responsible for drawing up and monitoring the regional waste prevention and management plan (PRPGD) or the regional planning and?sustainable development?plan?and Territorial Equality (SRADDET), various information relating to the activities of PROs in the territories. Among other amendment propositions, this Order amends the cross-cutting provisions applicable to EPR courses of the amended Order of 12 December 2022. In particular, it makes the timetable for the transmission of certain data more flexible, specifies the procedures for accounting for flat-rate declarations in the calculation of the 5% threshold provided for in Article 2, introduces a new obligation to transmit the quantity of unsold products that have been the subject of a free take-back pursuant to Article R. 541-324, adapts for certain sectors the procedures for declaring data relating to waste management and modifies the procedures transmission of regional data to the competent authority for the development and monitoring of the SRADDET or the PRPGD. More to read: https://www.vie-publique.fr/consultations/294814-projet-darrete-modificatif-donnees-des-filieres-rep?utm_content=189504962&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lis-F9FC7LkIgu

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EU & Other countries

·?????? International plastics treaty: 133 civil society groups demand greater transparency in appointment of technical experts. More to read: https://www-downtoearth-org-in.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/environment/international-plastics-treaty-133-civil-society-groups-demand-greater-transparency-in-appointment-of-technical-experts

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·?????? Innovation Continues in the Baby Diaper Market. Brands are attracting consumers with plant-based ingredients and new technologies to improve fit and performance. In France, Mundao has brought an industrially compostable baby diaper to market called Diap’Earth. This diaper, made with bio-based materials such as cellulosic fibers and polylactic acid (PLA), provides a circular solution to the absorbent hygiene product (AHP) waste issue. So far, Mundao, which works with a contract manufacturer, has achieved a full compostable diaper, which reached more than 91% in a biodegradation test in less than three months. A product is considered industrial compostable when it achieves more than 90% biodegradation in less than six months, and the Diap’Earth diaper composts between four and five months. More to read: https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/contents/view_features/2024-01-08/innovation-continues-in-the-baby-diaper-market

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·?????? Time to recycle the Circular Economy... before recycling kills it?. More to read: https://jmsimon.substack.com/p/time-to-recycle-the-circular-economy

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·?????? The?UN Human Rights Council will investigate whether plastic pollution violates human rights. The Human Rights Council has unanimously decided to commission a study on the implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights. More to read: https://www.sustainableplastics.com/news/un-body-investigate-if-plastic-pollution-violates-human-rights

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·?????? Circular economy: the end of the era of disposability in Australia? Micro-factories, an innovative approach to extracting value from waste materials, are paving the way for sustainable production and consumption. ?The green ceramics micro-factory was developed through a partnership between the local city council, Kandui Technologies and UNSW's Centre for Sustainable Materials and Technologies (SMaRT), a research centre aimed at translating new recycling science into concrete environmental and economic benefits.?More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/nancy/actualites-economie-circulaire-la-fin-de-l-ere-du-tout-jetable

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·?????? Comprehensive, meaning electricity and heat incineration, as well as biogenic CO2, to ensure these facilities are included properly. Developed by Equnimator, the report?highlights the urgency to adopt this recommendation to achieve the EU’s climate goals. After the European Parliament approved reforms to the ETS in 2022, a path opened to consider municipal waste incineration under its scope, but as of 1 January 2024, these facilities have only been included for monitoring, reporting, and verification purposes. They are not yet required to surrender allowances for their emissions. The Commission is required to study the feasibility of including these facilities in the EU-ETS in July 2026, with a potential inclusion by 2028. More to read: https://www.recycling-magazine.com/2024/06/27/zero-waste-europe-urges-comprehensive-inclusion-of-waste-incineration-in-eu-ets/?utm_source=RMNL%5F240712%5FEN

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·?????? Webinar on advancing Intergenerational Well-being and Health Against Plastic Pollution: Opportunities & Threats under the Plastics Treaty for Children, Women, & Informal Workers. This webinar, co-convened by the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG), International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) and Health Care Without Harm, as part of the 'Road2Busan Plastic Action Webinar Series,' will delve into the critical issue of plastic pollution and its severe impact on the health of vulnerable groups, especially children, women, and informal workers, addressing the full life cycle of plastic. More to read: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0scuqqrzwqHdd3q0QyxGrZcp08gIr3nput#/registration

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·?????? Road to Busan | Global Producer Responsibility for Plastic Pollution. This event, organized within the framework of the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues, will present and discuss a research paper highlighting how brand names can be used to hold plastic companies accountable for items found polluting the environment. This event will discuss the findings of a research that has used data from a 5-year (2018–2022) worldwide (84 countries) program to identify brands found on plastic items in the environment through 1576 audit events. The authors found that 50% of items were unbranded, calling for mandated producer reporting. The top five brands accounted for 24% of the total branded count, and 56 companies accounted for more than 50%. There was a clear and strong log-log linear relationship production (%) = pollution (%) between companies’ annual production of plastic and their branded plastic pollution, with food and beverage companies being disproportionately large polluters. Phasing out single-use and short-lived plastic products by the largest polluters would greatly reduce global plastic pollution. Leading experts speaking at this event will present the results of the research?and discuss how the findings can help the development of the legally binding treaty that member states are currently developing, ahead of the next round of negotiation. More to read: https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/road-to-busan-global-producer-responsibility-for-plastic-pollution/

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