Weekly Newsletter on Circular Waste Management in Africa and OECD countries #33-2024

South Africa

·?????? An annual landfill audit draws residents’ attention to the fact that only two out of seven landfill sites in Tshwane and its surrounds comply with some of the requirements set in the audit to score more than 80%. More to read: https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/news-headlines/2024/08/07/metro-landfill-crisis-four-sites-non-compliant/

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France

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·?????? The second year of ecological planning sheds more light than ever on our common path to a successful transition: (i) ?The decline in our greenhouse gas emissions is accelerating, reaching -5.8% in 2023, with mostly structural reductions, (ii) The success of the regional COPs is a testament to unprecedented investment at all levels of local government, (iii) The mobilization of economic sectors gives even more credibility to our trajectories sector by sector, (iv) The deepening and monitoring of the work by the General Secretariat for Ecological Planning gives everyone the means to accelerate, particularly considering the strategic challenge of closing all our resources, whether natural (water, biomass, etc.), energy, human or financial. However, these encouraging results do not hide the scale of the challenges we have to meet collectively, for controlled decarbonization, constant attention to the protection and restoration of biodiversity and a better allocation of our resources.? More to read: 0f41bea6697253e5d3d90cd10b2caee732f5e16a.pdf ( info.gouv.fr )

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·?????? Ecological Planning Dashboard: Planning and accelerating the ecological trans Beta. This beta* prototype of the dashboard presents ecological planning indicators divided into 9 components (Transversal, Transport, Buildings, Energy, Industry, Agriculture-Food, Water, Ecosystems, Circular Economy). These indicators aim to represent the evolution of recent years and to share perspectives on the major levers of action in ecological planning, in order to enlighten all the actors concerned and contribute to the collective discussion on the appropriate transition paths for the country. More to read: https://e.infogram.com/95444dec-4126-496a-85ce-6a017217c0a4?src=embed

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·?????? Based on Article L541-10-2-1 of the Environment Code and the creation Order No. 2020-920 of July 29, 2020 - art. 8, the Minister responsible for the environment must implement inter-sector communication actions involving all or part of the EPR sectors in order to inform the public about waste prevention and management. This inter sector communication is financed by the PROs and the individual systems of the sectors bear the corresponding costs by paying a fee. ?For the services relating to communication actions, the fee rates are set at 0.231% of the contributions received in 2020 by each PRO and producers in the individual system for their approved activity. In 2021, the amount collected was about 3.7 million Euros. More to read?: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000044318074

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·?????? Appointment of the new EPR inter-sector commission, which is a participatory governance mechanism, is based on a composition restricted to 25 members, appointed for three years and divided in a balanced way into five colleges (marketers, waste management operators, including those in the social and solidarity economy, local authorities, civil society - consumer or environmental protection associations - and the State). The major associations of local elected officials have their representatives: two for the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), one for the Assembly of Communities of France (AdCF), as well as for the Assembly of Departments of France (ADF) and Regions of France. The committee shall be consulted for its opinion, in particular on: (i) the draft decrees containing the specifications assigned to the PROs, (ii) applications for approval of PROs, (iii) the draft decrees relating to the modulation of the financial contributions paid by producers, (iv) the guidelines for the inter-sector communication actions implemented by the Minister for the Environment pursuant to Article L. 541-10-2-1, and the results of these actions and (v) any other consultation by the Ministry of the Environment on draft legislative and regulatory texts having an impact on the extended producer responsibility sectors. The commission is informed annually of the results of the work of the stakeholder committees of each PRO. . More to read: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000042421646?query=D541-6-1%20&typeRecherche=date&dateVersion=27%2F01%2F2021&nomCode=EEFtyw%3D%3D&searchField=ALL&tab_selection=code&page=1&

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EU & Other countries

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·?????? What should policy-makers consider before implementing plastic pollution measures in order to avoid the six most common types of trade concerns when considering plastic pollution measures: (i) For issues related to?a timing and implementation time frame, policy-makers should ensure that an implementation timeline has been established and shared with trading partners (reasonable consultation period, clear transition period, implementation guidelines); (ii) for issues related to?transparency, plastic pollution policy-makers should ensure that new measures are submitted to relevant WTO bodies and make the comprehensive text of any proposed regulation (and its implementing guidelines, if needed) available to all WTO members. The same transparency should be afforded to any updates and/or translations of texts, timelines, and implementation guidelines; (iii) to ensure adequate?stakeholder engagement, policy-makers should establish a formal opportunity for stakeholders to provide input, suggestions, and feedback on the potential trade impacts of a proposed measure. They should also provide clear guidance on how stakeholder consultations related to the measure will be conducted and how they can participate. Time frames for stakeholder engagement should also be clearly defined, reasonable, and accessible to trading partners.; (iv) proportionality?challenges can be avoided by ensuring that implemented measures are proportional in scope and impact to the problem they are designed to address. Measures should also not create excessive costs or cumbersome obligations that could restrict trade if the same outcome could be achieved with less burdensome obligations. Policy-makers should defer to or seek consultation from the research community on established plastic pollution approaches that are already effective at achieving certain objectives, (v) justification?issues can be addressed by ensuring that all measures provide the necessary scientific, technical, or technological basis to support a particular rationale and (vi) In order to ensure trading partners are not subjected to?discrimination?through a given policy, introduced measures should not favor domestic economic actors, and they should be consistent with national treatment obligations. In general, any exemptions, flexibilities, or temporal grace periods provided by the implementing member should be equally accessible to domestic producers and trading partners. More to read: https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/trade-concerns-plastic-pollution-measures.pdf

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·?????? Why EPR for waste electronics must accommodate trends and innovations, insights from REPIC. There is no denying that WEEE is very different to many other waste streams, in that the amount of electronics placed on the market in a year does not necessarily influence the amount arising as waste in that year. There is a significant gap between the two sets of figures, but this does not mean that the WEEE system is unsuccessful. Over the past 20 years, we have identified three primary influences on WEEE collections: changing consumer habits and behaviors, improvements in collection infrastructure, and various technological advancements. By examining these key factors, we begin to understand why the WEEE system, more than any other waste stream, requires flexibility at its core. More to read: ?https://www.circularonline.co.uk/opinions/why-epr-for-waste-electronics-must-accommodate-trends-and-innovations/

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·?????? WEEE Centre, in partnership with the ICT Authority ( ICTA), British High Commission, OUSEI Japan, and NEMA Kenya, to participate at the?4th Africa International E-Waste Conference?- "E-Waste Policies, Governance and Regulations: Enabling a Sustainable E-Waste Ecosystem" scheduled for?October 16th, 2024?in Nairobi. The 4th Africa International E-Waste Conference serves as a pivotal platform to address the pressing global challenge of the electronic waste surge. By bringing together experts, industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders, this conference aims to: Showcase innovative solutions, Share best practices and Recognize contributions toward responsible e-waste management. More to read: https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweeecentre.us22.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3Dcfce41549ac2a6d58731c83af%26id%3Dee69982037%26e%3D153c8c7349&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cf82dcfddbb6f4bc6eae508dcbc6666e3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638592395211049349%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=H6P7VJGhMoy4FcYi45LcrgcXPWkbVz%2FuLF4%2Fq%2BOmC7k%3D&reserved=0

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·?????? Financing considerations to support an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution: Financial mechanisms supported obligations, and addressing potential funding gaps: insights from the last webinar. More to read: 77554d_a4cc30683e224975816c3c8b0d90b562.pdf ( usrfiles.com )

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·?????? Sao Paulo state’s environmental agency CETESB recently published a draft Technical Instruction that would reclassify substances once considered wastes within a production process.? At its most basic terms, a substance that is not the final product of a specific environmentally-licensed process could be included in the site’s environmental license as a material for further use – instead of as a waste as they are presently classified.? The Draft sets out requirements for when and how a specific byproduct could be considered a substance and not a waste.? More to read: DD-no-042_2024_P-Instrucao-Tecnica-para-inclusao-no-licenciamento-ambiental-de-substancias-ou-materiais-que-nao-sao-produtos-finais-do-processo-produtivo-1-1.pdf ( cetesb.sp.gov.br )

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·?????? Electronic waste, collection continues to decline: This is certified by the data of the latest report of the WEEE Coordination Center. European waste collection targets and those of the Critical Raw Materials Act are far away. More to read: https://economiacircolare.com/rifiuti-elettronici-raee-calo-raccolta/

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·?????? UK DEFRA Guidance on extended producer responsibility costs for different materials ‘provides much-needed clarity to obligated packaging producers to enable them to prepare for the introduction of charging from 2025’ and Extended producer responsibility for packaging: illustrative base fees. More to read: https://resource.co/article/defra-sets-indicative-fees-packaging-epr and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging-illustrative-base-fees/extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging-illustrative-base-fees

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·?????? The Plastic Waste Management Framework: This comprehensive report by the Alliance, in collaboration with Roland Berger, offers insights into various policies and levers that countries can adopt to enhance recycling rates, strengthen waste management systems, and progress towards an improved circularity for plastics. More to read: https://endplasticwaste.org/en/our-stories/plastic-waste-management-framework

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·?????? English RDF exports up 18 per cent in the first half of 2024. Significantly more refuse-derived fuel (RDF) was exported from England in the first half of 2024. According to recently published data from the UK Environment Agency, RDF shipments to mainland Europe are up by almost a fifth compared to the first half of 2023. Exports to Sweden rose particularly sharply. The Environment Agency (EA) also reported a renewed increase in export volumes to Germany and Denmark, More to read: https://www.euwid-recycling.com/news/business/english-rdf-exports-up-18-per-cent-in-the-first-half-of-2024-130824/?s=09

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·?????? US backs global target to reduce plastic production. The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, will support a global treaty calling for a reduction in how much new plastic is produced each year in a major policy shift, a source close to U.S. negotiators told Reuters on Wednesday. The change away from its earlier calls to leave such decisions up to each country puts the U.S. in direct opposition to countries like Saudi Arabia and China. Those countries have argued that the hoped-for United Nations treaty, which negotiators are scheduled to conclude at a November summit in Busan, South Korea, should ignore questions of production and focus on downstream measures, such as encouraging recycling and changing packaging design. More to read: https://www.aol.com/news/exclusive-shift-us-backs-global-140554782.html?guccounter=1

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·?????? Review finds hundreds of chemicals migrating from recycled and reusable plastic FCMs. Scientists detect 509 food contact chemicals in plastic food contact materials (FCMs) made for reuse; 853 chemicals identified in recycled PET; study points out key knowledge gaps in available hazard data for frequently detected chemicals. More to read: https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/review-finds-hundreds-of-chemicals-migrating-from-recycled-and-reusable-plastic-fcms

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