Weekly Newsletter on Circular Waste Management in Africa and G20 countries #03-2025

South Africa

?

·?????? The economic impact of marine plastic debris in South Africa. The total economic impact associated with plastic reaching South Africa's marine environment ranges between R3.5 billion and R34.9 billion per year (0.05 to 0.5 % of annual GDP. The estimate is about 40,000 tons leaking every year into the ocean and about 440,000 tons is leaking in the natural environment (terrestrial and fresh water) and this amount could double in 2040. The economic impact of marine plastic includes the impact on eco system services for about 97% (water quality, nutrient cycles, climate regulation), the direct damages to affected industries for about 2% (fisheries, shipping, marine and coastal tourism) and the cleanup costs for about 1%. The cost associated with each ton of plastic ranges between R70 635 and R698 186; with a mid-range estimate of R282 028 per ton? (14,000 euros/ton of plastic). More to read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X24014383?via%3Dihub#bbb0035

?

·?????? In December 2024, over 170 countries gathered to conclude a global treaty to reach a plastic pollution-free world by 2040. While negotiations were inconclusive, the countries sought to complete the process in 2025, highlighting an urgent, time-bound need to bridge remaining areas of divergence. What will it take to land the treaty to end plastic pollution and how can business and government be supported to tackle the issue in the interim? With Minister Dion Travers George as a key speaker. More to read: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/sessions/new-agreement-on-plastics-how-to-make-it-count/

?

?

France

?

·?????? A document sent by the PROs to the public authorities calls for the abolition of certain supports for the collection, transport and massification of construction and demolition waste. The objective: to save their members more than €300 million per year. Without this, PROs assert that the financial balance of the sector would be threatened. PROs have put forward several proposals. First, they are requesting that the contribution be clearly visible on invoices. According to their document, this is deemed "essential" to "ensure there is no margin taken on this cost" (the cost of the contribution), with the visibility of the contribution intended to "limit the economic impact of the REP (Extended Producer Responsibility) on the building sector." Making the contribution visible would also, according to the eco-organizations, help combat free riders—market players who do not join an eco-organization or fail to pay the contributions owed on the products they sell. Additionally, to further combat free riders, the PROs recommend requiring a unique identifier to allow the marketing of building products as will soon be mandatory in the packaging sector under the European regulation on packaging and waste (the PPWR regulation). More to read: https://dechets-infos.com/telechargement/telid/31902

?

?

?

·?????? French plastics manufacturers want to place LCAs at the heart of the 3R strategy. plastics are essential materials for the performance of many products that can hardly be replaced, however, it is necessary to reduce their use where possible, to encourage reuse and to ensure recycling and this, with life cycle assessments (LCAs) as the judge of the peace, which guarantee that each decision is the right one from an environmental point of view. The reuse component is based on a difficult observation: the reuse of packaging (all materials combined) only reaches 1.10 to 1.48%, while the target was 5% in 2023. Like many players, the union therefore notes that much remains to be done: definition and deployment of standard packaging, deployment of consumer incentive mechanisms and securing economic models. And this, by ensuring the environmental relevance of the solutions thanks to LCAs. there is recycling. The solution reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 34% and water consumption by 70%. But incorporation rates are struggling: from 6 to 20% depending on the sector. Above all, France's current recycling capacity is around 900,000 tons per year (t/year), while the latest known figure for the incorporation of recycled plastic is 600,000 tons in 2023 (for 5 million tons of virgin plastic used elsewhere). This underutilization of French plastic regeneration capacity is largely due to the price gap with virgin resins. A ton of mechanically recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has an additional cost of around €330 per ton (€/t) compared to its virgin counterpart. This additional cost reaches €400/t for recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and €450/t for recycled polypropylene (PP). These sums increase the cost of recycled by 20 to 30%. Improving the situation requires solutions that are often put forward: improving the recyclability of products, collection and sorting, and supporting investments in new recycling solutions and incorporation. One of the levers to remedy this would be to provide financial support for these recycled materials to compensate for the price gap with virgin food. A solution could emerge and Minister of Ecological Transition explained that she wanted to extend to other sectors the system of bonuses for the incorporation of recycled plastics from the extended producer responsibility (EPR) sector of household packaging. In concrete terms, marketers benefit from a bonus ranging from €50 to €550/t, depending on the recycled resins incorporated and the type of recycling (closed or open loop). And this by taking up the criterion of proximity that prevails in the textile EPR sector in order to promote "made in France". In this case, the support granted is higher if the material has been recycled less than 1,500 km from the collection site or less than 1,000 km from the sorting centre (depending on the level of traceability of the materials). More to read: https://enviropro-salon.com/fr-fr/nancy/actualites-les-plasturgistes-veulent-placer-les-acv-au-c%C5%93ur-de-la-strategie-3r

?

·?????? Used oils: CYCLEVIA's operational and global approach to accelerate the decarbonization of the automotive sector. More to read: https://journalauto.com/publi-web/huiles-usagees-lapproche-operationnelle-et-globale-de-cyclevia-pour-accelerer-la-decarbonation-du-secteur-auto/

?

·?????? The rates of the general tax on polluting activities (TGAP) have changed on January, 2025. The TGAP applies to companies that carry out a polluting activity or that use polluting products. There are 4 components of the TGAP: waste, emissions, detergents and extraction materials. ?More to know: https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/actualites/A17984

?

EU & Other countries

?

·?????? Waste-to-Energy destroys Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), study shows: Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facilities offer a highly effective solution for the destruction of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a new UK government study found. According to the research, WtE achieves a “very high level of destruction efficiency” for POPs, underscoring their value in responsible waste management and environmental protection. POPs “are organic substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in living organisms and pose a risk to our health and the environment,” according to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The category includes pesticides, dioxins, and industrial chemicals such as those found in electrical equipment More to read: https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21649

?

·?????? Promising results from study on PFAS and Waste-to-Energy A new research by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology?studied the incineration of fluoropolymers - high-performance materials used widely for industrial applications - and their potential release of harmful PFAS. Tests at the KIT's BRENDA incineration facility showed nearly complete mineralisation of fluoropolymers under standard European waste incineration conditions, achieving over 99.99% destruction at 860°C. These findings suggest that standard municipal incineration effectively breaks down fluoropolymers, minimising environmental release, although other PFAS sources still require analysis. More to read: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524023014?via%3Dihub

?

·?????? Council greenlights EU certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products. Today, the Council gave the final green light to a regulation establishing the?1st EU-level?certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products. This?voluntary?framework will?facilitate and encourage?high-quality?carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities in the EU, as a complement to sustained emission reductions. The EU-wide certification framework is for carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products (CRCF).?This regulation is crucial for the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) sector, as it explicitly recognises Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) as carbon removals. By including the capture of biogenic CO??emissions from WtE within its scope, the CRCF underscores the role of WtE in achieving climate goals. The framework clarifies the definition of carbon removals, outlines certification requirements, and includes mineralisation (biogenic or DAC CO??bound in products) as permanent removals. Additionally, an EU-wide electronic registry will be introduced four years after implementation to ensure transparency and traceability of certified activities. More to read: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/11/19/council-greenlights-eu-certification-framework-for-permanent-carbon-removals-carbon-farming-and-carbon-storage-in-products/

?

·?????? The World Circular Economy Forum 2025?will take place in Sao Paulo. It will explore the?potential of tropical solutions for sustainable growth, the power of regeneration?and?bioeconomy strategies,?along with how the production sector is driving the transition toward a circular economy. The forum will also address key topics relevant to Latin America and the world. There will be?four plenaries?and?12 parallel sessions. The plenaries will explore cross-cutting issues and set the scene for a circular economic model that delivers well-being for all within nature’s carrying capacity. The parallel sessions will bring the themes of each session to life through inspiring, practical and scalable examples of the circular economy in action.?More to read: https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/news-and-events/all-events/world-circular-economy-forum-2025-save-date#msdynttrid=U8U9-G8KTvcaogLCfrIIg5ktZxjAJTlMbCReanE9mi4

?

·?????? From LCA to circular design: A comparative study of digital tools for the built environment. This paper reviews digital tools that support the transition to a circular economy in the built environment.? It explores how computer-aided design, building information modeling and computational plugins can assist architects and engineers in creating more sustainable buildings. While Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) remains the main approach for evaluating environmental impacts, the study highlights other methods and tools that can help assess circular design strategies, such as computational methods to design with reused elements and circularity indicators. The paper identifies both the strengths and limitations of these digital tools.?More to read: https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/sites/default/files/2024-10/From%20LCA%20to%20circular%20design%20A%20comparative%20study%20of%20digital%20tools%20for%20the.pdf

?

·?????? The European Union’s Circular Economy Strategy stipulates that all plastic packaging in the European Union must be 100% recyclable by 2030. This project?aims to develop 100% recyclable flexible skinpack packaging using rPET. 'Skinpack' is the type of clear packaging which clings closely to the product, so that consumers can actually see what they are thinking of buying while producers and distributers get the benefit of cost-effectiveness and flexibility. Unfortunately, these advantages are offset by a major drawback: since it is made up of layers, it is very difficult to recycle. Through innovations in?chemical recycling and polymerization technologies, the project consortium aims to overcome this drawback. The key will be to develop a single-material film based on rPET. The BOTTLE4FLEX project is focusing on promoting solvolysis processes for recycling and modifying the properties of PET through partial depolymerization. It will also harness innovative technologies such as reactive extrusion, as well as monomers and additives to increase the flexibility of recycled PET. More to know: https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/good-practices/bottle4flex-project-developing-100-recyclable-food-packaging#msdynttrid=F9TKVIJlbyAUJHpvc3y_Pdx_wuTpVU20XsSDUSrZZBs