Weekly newsletter on Circular Waste Management in Africa and G20 countries week #44-2024

South Africa

·?????? ALPLA opens PET recycling plant in South Africa. Packaging and recycling specialist ALPLA Group) is opening a state-of-the-art polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant in Ballito, South Africa approximately one and a half years after the start of construction. The company has invested 60 million euros in the new plant in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Starting in 2025, the ALPLA recycling division will produce up to 35,000 tons of recycled PET (rPET) per year. The high-quality material will then be processed into safe, affordable and sustainable plastic packaging at ALPLA’s production plant in Lanseria. More to read: https://www.chemengonline.com/alpla-opens-pet-recycling-plant-in-south-africa/

France

·?????? Latest data on the key indicators for monitoring the circular economy. At both the French and European levels, actions with objectives are defined to accelerate the change in production and consumption models. A selection of indicators, covering the seven pillars of the circular economy, aims to report on the circularity of the French economy. These indicators are detailed here and accompanied, as far as possible, by international comparisons to position France vis-à-vis its European neighbours. The 7 pillars of the circular economy are: The circular economy is based on a sober and responsible consumption of natural resources, and in particular raw materials. It is usual to describe the circular economy in three areas of action (supply of economic actors, consumer demand and behaviour and waste management) and seven pillars: extraction/exploitation and sustainable purchasing, eco-design, industrial and territorial ecology, functional economy, responsible consumption, extension of the life of use and waste recycling). More to read: https://www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/indicateurs-cles-pour-le-suivi-de-leconomie-circulaire

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·?????? "We think that it is important to raise the level (of ambition) of the non-paper," warned French Ecology Minister, Otherwise, we are not in agreement. Even if we become champions of recycling and waste collection, we will not solve the problem of plastic pollution if we do not reduce the use and production of virgin plastic." France is among the members of a so-called High Ambition Coalition pushing for a stronger treaty. More to read: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/doubt-over-production-cuts-plastic-105740494.html

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?EU & Other countries

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·?????? Commonwealth nations adopt pivotal ocean declaration in Samoa. Commonwealth countries today adopted the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common Future, which calls on all 56 Commonwealth nations to protect and restore the ocean in the face of severe climate change, pollution and impacts related to over-exploitation. More to read: https://thecommonwealth.org/news/chogm2024/commonwealth-nations-adopt-ocean-declaration

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·?????? What is comprehensive EPR? Comprehensive EPR policies combine EPR for packaging and paper products, deposit return systems (DRS) for beverage containers and source reduction for single-use plastics. While these policies can exist independently, they work best in tandem to drive better environmental outcomes. ? EPR programs for packaging and paper products have gained momentum in the U.S. as a policy to hold producers financially responsible for the environmental impacts of their packaging. Producers are charged a fee for all the packaging they put on the market, which varies based on recyclability and other environmental design decisions and forces producers to factor environmental outcomes into their bottom lines, leading to less wasteful products. ? DRS for beverage containers (also known as bottle bills or recycling refunds) have been widely used in the U.S. since the 1970s. DRS policies require a deposit, charged on the purchase of a beverage container, that is then returned to the consumer at a point of return to drive higher recycling rates of beverage containers. ? Source reduction policies require a reduction in single-use plastics produced over time. It is distinct from virgin plastic reduction, which focuses on using less virgin resin. While both approaches to reduction can result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and improvements in the waste management system, only source reduction confers major pollution reduction benefits by reducing the number of single-use plastics on the market. More to read: https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OC-Comprehensive-EPR-Report.pdf

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·?????? The Solid Waste Association of North America recently developed a new?technical policy ?on extended producer responsibility for a range of products and packaging, as well as document offering “guiding principles ” for such policies. TECHNICAL POLICY Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). More to read: https://swana.org/docs/default-source/advocacy-documents/technical-policies-library/swana-technical-policy-t-12-extended-producer-responsibility-(epr).pdf?sfvrsn=44183e2_6/

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·?????? Non-paper prepared by the Chair as a new political avenue to unblock negotiations. This is the first document in the process that tittles provisions as "Articles", and there are 31 potential Articles (+ preamble) of the future plastics treaty. More to read: https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/v2/D4E1FAQF6f1GjASAq_Q/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/0/1730358893718?e=1731542400&v=beta&t=yiFdCRZRJVAwujC6hksNaMf10jYvciQeVBSatMwtF2w

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·?????? The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. More to read: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2024/9780348264654/contents

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·?????? In UK, Subject to their passage through Parliament, the regulations will allow for the appointment of the Scheme Administrator for the packaging EPR scheme on Thursday 12 December 2024. The remainder of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 will then come into force across the UK on 1 January 2025.?EPR to cost ￡1.7bn in 2025, says industry leader. Jim Bligh, Director of Corporate Affairs and Packaging at The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), welcomed the government’s decision to adopt a producer-led approach. “With EPR expected to cost at least ￡1.7bn in 2025 alone, it is essential that it delivers value for money and boosts Britain’s recycling rates,” Bligh said. Bligh also highlighted that successful EPR schemes around the world are driven by producers, and the UK’s choice to follow international best practice is crucial. “A producer-led organisation can harness the expertise of manufacturers and the waste value chain to create a true circular economy for packaging recycling,” he added. More to read: https://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/uk-government-confirms-industry-led-role-in-packaging-epr/?cf-view

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·?????? In USA, 24 states have passed a legislation classifying advanced recycling as a manufacturing process rather than solid waste disposal. After ExxonMobil started a pilot advanced recycling facility at its refinery in Baytown, Texas in 2022, it named Baton Rouge as one of seven possible locations around the world for another site. The proposal emerged after Louisiana passed legislation classifying advanced recycling as a manufacturing process rather than solid waste disposal. A 2023 study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratories found that only 1-14% of plastic processed through pyrolysis can be converted back into plastic. The study also says advanced recycling is up to 100 times more expensive and environmentally harmful than producing virgin plastic. More to read: https://lailluminator.com/2024/10/22/exxon-recycling/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-10-29%20Waste%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:67301%5D&utm_term=Waste%20Dive

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·?????? Examining EPR in the Construction Sector:?Event Recording Available. Although nearly 95% of building materials are recyclable, less than 5% of their actual resource value is currently being preserved. Could Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) serve as a catalyst for sustainable construction? This webinar discussed this question by delving into the critical aspects of EPR and its implication for the construction industry. More to read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsS6GYjdkDM

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·?????? Lessons from a waste collector empowerment initiative. The world of waste collectors. More to know: https://adapetation.net/lessons-from-a-waste-collector-empowerment-initiative-2/

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·?????? New EU sustainability rules explained: Ecodesign Regulation FAQs. The document is a crucial resource for all parties involved, ensuring a smooth transition to a more sustainable product market in the EU.?More to read: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu-sustainability-rules-explained-ecodesign-regulation-faqs-2024-09-27_en

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·?????? Navigating India's E-Waste Regulation. More to read: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e85300c9-e1fb-4745-b007-b94eefa97005

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