Weekly Newsletter on Circular Waste Management in Africa and OECD #24-2024

Weekly roundup covering the latest news and discussions around circular waste management Expertise France Dumisani Buthelezi Kgauta Mokoena Sharon Mogomotsi Thabo Magomola

South Africa

South Africa has a unique position as a maritime nation bordered by three major oceans, providing livelihoods for millions with 40% of South Africa’s population residing within 100km of the coastline. The World Oceans Day and its year's theme is ‘Awaken New Depths’. More to read: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/south-africans-urged-to-combat-marine-pollution/ and https://www.citizen.co.za/network-news/lnn/article/world-oceans-day-awareness-and-education-key-to-save-sas-oceans/

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South Africa might face lithium battery recycling challenge. Thanks to load?shedding and the steady move to electric mobility, batteries have become essential in South Africans’ lives. More to read: https://techcentral.co.za/south-africa-lithium-battery-recycling/244440/

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France

The?Buildings and Climate Global Forum , co-organised by France and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with the support of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction gathered for the first time ministers and high-level representatives of key organisations, to initiate a new impetus in international collaboration for building decarbonisation and resilience after the Conference of the Parties (COP) 28. More to read: https://www.unep.org/events/conference/buildings-and-climate-global-forum ?

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Soren, the PRO for used solar panel management is responsible for collecting and?recycling end-of-life modules.? The publication of the organization's 2023 activity report makes it possible to monitor the evolution of the sector. We first learn that the market has grown significantly in 2023 with a 45% increase in the number of panels put on the market, for a total of 14.5 million. The report highlights one of the advantages of collection, which is to be able to supply the circular sector by recovering high value-added materials such as silicon or silver. Thus, in 2023, 5,207 tons of photovoltaic panels were recovered compared to 3,848 tons the previous year. In all, 90% of used panels are recycled. The rest is either eliminated (less than 9%) or recovered (less than 1%). More to read: https://www.revolution-energetique.com/combien-de-panneaux-solaires-la-france-a-t-elle-recyclee-en-2023/

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The can industry invests in the development of 100% recycled aluminium. Four major?Western aluminium producers ?are joining forces to strengthen the recyclability of cans.?"While rolled aluminium for the body of the can already contains a high percentage of recycled aluminium and promotes very high recyclability, there is additional recycling potential linked to the lid of the can,"?point out the French manufacturer Constellium, the Greek company ElvalHalcor, the American company Novelis (a subsidiary of the Indian group Hindalco) and the German-Norwegian recycler Speira. The latter are all members of the packaging branch of European Aluminium, the European federation of players in the sector. More to read: https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/industrie-canettes-developpement-aluminium-recyclage-43946.php4

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France and USA are committed to taking ambitious actions throughout the full life cycle of plastics to end plastic pollution and call upon the global community to do the same, with the aspiration to reduce the global production and consumption of primary plastic polymers. They urge the global community to finalize, by the end of 2024, an ambitious and effective international legally-binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. More to read: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/08/french-american-roadmap/?s=09

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Chemical recycling of plastic: pyrolysis oil loses its waste status. A decree sets the criteria for the end of the waste status of pyrolysis oil produced from plastic intended for the production of new polymers. The topic of PFAS is discussed, but not explicitly restricted. More to read: https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/sortie-statut-dechets-huile-pyrolyse-43709.php4

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Recycling by pyrolysis of plastic: access to supply is a concern. The arrival of pyrolysis recycling capacities raises the question of their supply. Ideally, these units will treat waste that is currently non-recyclable. But this scenario does not convince the stakeholders in place. Fears are so strong among traditional recyclers, it is also because pyrolysis is taking off at a time when the market for recycled plastics is in turmoil.?Currently, the demand for recycled plastics is being undermined by competition from the low-cost virgin resins that are supplying Europe from Asia. And in the near future, it will be banned from exporting plastic waste to countries outside the OECD.?With this situation, it is difficult to predict how the recycling business model will evolve. More to read: https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/recyclage-chimique-pyrolyse-plastique-concurrence-gisement-44223.php4#note1 and https://www.actu-environnement.com/media/pdf/news-44217-etude-gisement-ademe.pdf

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The construction ecosystem identifies structuring projects in terms of the circular economy. The?roadmap aims to strengthen existing initiatives and bring out new ones, based on close cooperation between the actors of the different sectors.?This collaborative work?involved the Strategic Committees of the Mining & Metallurgy, Chemistry & Materials, Waste Transformation and Recovery, Fashion & Luxury sectors, as well as the Directorate General for Enterprise (DGE), the Directorate General for Risk Prevention (DGPR), ADEME and players in the sector (professional federations, companies, technical centres). More to read: https://www.conseil-national-industrie.gouv.fr/actualites/comites-strategiques-de-filiere/construction/l-ecosysteme-construction-identifie-des-projets-structurants-matiere-d-economie-circulaire

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?Unpacking after the checkout: the large distributor/retailer does not sort much. ?Mass distribution does not comply with the obligation to sort packaging waste at the checkout. Only one school out of fifty visited applies it according to the methodology chosen. Others partially respect, and seem to do the maximum to do the minimum. This has consequences for the public waste service in particular. More to read: https://lesdecheticiens.fr/2023/09/06/deballage-apres-la-caisse-la-grande-distri-trie-peu/

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Four years after the AGEC law was passed, two evaluators seek to measure its application by considering its effectiveness, efficiency and impacts. Overall the evaluation highlights: (i)the delay of numerous provisions due to their being spread over several years, the absence of indicators and monitoring data; (ii)) the creation of several REP sectors which fail to achieve the objectives set in their specifications; (iii) the focus of REP sectors on the downstream life cycle of products (sorting, collection and recycling of waste) to the detriment of eco-design, reuse and other measures to prevent waste production; (iv) the necessary questioning of the governance model of the REP sectors which in 2029 should collect nearly 7 billion Euros in eco-contributions while several of the provisions which apply to them are neither respected, nor monitored and even less controlled. More specifically, on the subject of plastics, the rapporteurs point out: (a) a ban on disposable tableware in catering that is insufficiently enforced (according to feedback from field inspections, 38% of establishments did not comply with this obligation in November 2023); (b) the absence of questioning the provisions banning disposable tableware due to the reduced ambitions of the European regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR); (c) the necessary extension of the objectives of incorporating recycled polymers into plastic bottles to all packaging, and to all sectors, via the eco-modulation mechanism; (d) the difficult achievement of the objective of 90% of plastic bottles recycled in 2029, with or without the deposit. however, discussions on a deposit system must be continued by removing the financial obstacles for local authorities; ( e ) the importance of eco-design to improve the recyclability of plastic objects coupled with dissuading the marketing of non-recyclable products. At the end of their analyses, the rapporteurs formulate recommendations to improve the effectiveness of #AGEC, 13 of which directly target the subject of plastics. More to read: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/16/rapports/cion-dvp/l16b2696_rapport-information.pdf

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COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMPACT OF THE LAW ON THE FIGHT AGAINST WASTE AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY (AGEC). More to read: https://videos.assemblee-nationale.fr/video.15291898_6656d784bc8e6.commission-du-developpement-durable--scenarios-de-long-terme-pour-le-reseau-ferroviaire--impact-de-29-mai-2024

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A new application labelled ‘Together Let’s reduce our packaging’: Packaging is an integral part of your daily life. They protect and extend the life of preservation of your products, facilitate their transport, storage and consumption, but can also sometimes seem disproportionate: you can point this out here. More to read: https://www.citeo.com/signalez-nous-des-emballages-a-ameliorer?mtm_campaign=SEE%20-%20LinkedIn&mtm_kwd=SEE&mtm_source=LinkedIn&mtm_content=formulaire%20SEE

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EU & Other countries

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CompuCycle sees its latest expansion as a way to better respond to its customers’ demand for circular economy services and align itself with global plastic pollution efforts. CompuCycle has invested in the sorting equipment is because the company is a certified electronics recycler under the e-Stewards and R2 certification standards. Both certification systems have stated they now?require companies to follow specific aspects of the Basel Convention , including additional e-scrap regulations set to go into effect in 2025.? It is the “first and only certified, single solution e-waste recycling company”?in the United States. After shredding the electronics, the components are further separated into steel, copper, aluminum, circuit boards and mixed plastic. The shredded metals are shipped directly to smelters, mills and refineries. The Basel Convention’s plastic waste amendments, meant to prevent plastic pollution, restricts the shipment of certain mixed plastics to other countries such as Malaysia.?More to read: https://www.wastedive.com/news/compucycle-escrap-plastic-basel-convention-domestic-markets/719097/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-06-17%20Waste%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:63107%5D&utm_term=Waste%20Dive

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The human face of the UN plastics treaty”? The role of waste pickers in intergovernmental negotiations to end plastic pollution and ensure a just transition. The just transition concept emerged from labor and environmental justice movements in the late 1960s. Since then, it has emerged to encompass impacts on individuals, communities, ecosystems and the climate, including for future generations, uniting the multiple dimensions of justice (distributional, procedural and restorative). It has been linked to green transitions away from coal and other environmentally damaging fossil fuel energy sources and was placed on the global environmental governance (GEG) agenda through the Copenhagen Summit and the Paris Agreement, thus effectively straddling policy and scholarship on climate, energy and environmental justice.? In the negotiations for the plastic treaty, just transition has gone from being understood primarily as a workers’ rights issue (loss of jobs), towards recognizing the broader implications for people and communities of the transition towards ending plastic pollution (including direct and indirect impacts of pollution and control measures). More to read: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-plastics/article/human-face-of-the-un-plastics-treaty-the-role-of-waste-pickers-in-intergovernmental-negotiations-to-end-plastic-pollution-and-ensure-a-just-transition/8AFA653D53C5B771373AF7DC5E520B62?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_source=socialnetwork

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The Indian government to launch an online platform for exchanging and trading e-waste responsibility certificates, to facilitate the trade of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificates, a move that will help the country tackle the growing menace of e-waste, like defunct mobile phones and laptops. According to new e-waste management amendment rules 2024 notified on March 8, the central government “may establish one or more platforms for exchange or transfer of EPR certificates and the operation of the platform shall be regulated in accordance with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. CPCB shall fix the highest and lowest price for exchange of EPR certificates which shall be equal to hundred per cent and thirty per cent, respectively of the environmental compensation for non-fulfilment of EPR obligation,” the notification further reads. More to read: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/govt-to-launch-platform-for-trading-e-waste-responsibility-certificates-124031101081_1.html

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Researchers at Rice University in Texas, USA have developed an energy-efficient method to transform glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) into silicon carbide (SiC). The material is commonly used in the manufacture of large products such as semiconductors, aircraft and wind turbine blades. But recyclers struggle to recycle GFRP once they are decommissioned. More to read: https://recyclinginternational.com/business/innovation/rd-team-claims-ultra-fast-recycling-of-glass-fibre-reinforced-plastic/57509/?utm_source=nieuwsbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=06/19/2024&utm_source=Eisma+Industriemedia&utm_campaign=7e164ee215-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_06_13_07_52&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_978429473f-7e164ee215-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&goal=0_978429473f-7e164ee215-223538096&mc_cid=7e164ee215&mc_eid=161eac9929

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Austria has been revealed as the world’s best country for recycling in a new study by Reloop and Eunomia Research and Consulting. Wales leads the way in the UK, coming in at number 2. Northern Ireland was ranked 9th?England at 11th?and Scotland at 15th?among the 48 countries included in the comparison. Among the various recommandations, countries should report on non-household municipal waste with better quality and frequency since this sector can boost MSW recycling. More to read: https://eunomia.eco/reports/global-recycling-league-table-phase-one-report/

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Surveilling marine litter from space becomes a reality. More to read: https://www.marinelitterlab.eu/?s=09

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Pact including Coca-Cola, Nestlé delays 2025 plastic reduction goals. A collaboration of more than 80 companies has pushed back its deadline to drastically reduce the use of plastic. Now the members of the U.S. Plastics Pact say they will try to hit their goal by 2030 instead of 2025. A pact spokesperson said companies had failed to hit the goal because there were no U.S. federal laws in place requiring compliance: “This is what we're aiming for, especially in the US when we don't have a federal government that's really acting on this. More to read: https://info.greenbiz.com/index.php/email/emailWebview?email=MjExLU5KWS0xNjUAAAGTz1c9mcAiUAV3kQPOSaRZT3VAYwO53WGXKtF8hdHnLGPN2TaQmbmAjKG1bztlzeLdKYu0p8ZF-ParihRQ0b9SqLK1bNtYXl3qjw

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The EPA recently outlined three methods for managing toxic PFAS waste: thermal treatment, landfills and underground injection. Its new guidance aims to keep PFAS out of the environment. However, the EPA acknowledges that?its understanding of PFAS destruction conditions is far from complete. Even efficient combustion can produce harmful emissions. Researchers continue to explore clean-up methods and advocate?to phase out “forever chemicals.

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Second-hand clothing is an important economic weight in Kenya. But voices are being raised to criticize the pollution that these imported second-hand clothes cause. France, Sweden and Denmark have called on the European Union to ban textile waste exports to countries that are unable to manage it sustainably. In Kenya, the proposal is worrying the players in this sector. Several researchers estimate that second-hand provides three-quarters of the clothing needs of the Kenyan working classes. Teresia Wairimu Njenga has just returned from Brussels where she defended the cause of the sector: "The second-hand sector provides a living for two million people between those who import, the intermediaries, the sellers... Not to mention that a whole segment of the Kenyan population cannot afford to buy new and depends on second-hand clothing. Restricting second-hand clothing exports to Africa would pave the way for cheap clothes produced in Asia. More to read: https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/afrique-%C3%A9conomie/20240505-au-kenya-l-importante-manne-%C3%A9conomique-des-v%C3%AAtements-d-occasion-1-2

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