Recycling news: 2017

Global Case study: “We have a right to breathe clean air” A new case study recently published has investigated the emergence of conflicts around waste incineration in cement kilns, particularly looking at the situation in Spain, where civil society mobilisations have been especially visible in the last years. The paper, published by the prestigious Sustainability Science journal, has been co-authored by Mariel Vilella, ZWE’s Managing Director, […] The… Zero Waste Europe · 30 Nov 2017 Global Bioplastics are making the difference François de Bie, Chairman of EUBP, opening the 12th European Bioplastics Conference 2017 in Berlin. Berlin, 30 November 2017 – The 12th European Bioplastics Conference, which took place on 28/29 November 2017 in Berlin, showcased just how bioplastics are making the difference in driving innovations forward for more sustainability, resource efficiency, and [...] European Bioplastics News · 30 Nov 2017 Global Circular Economy for the young? Lithuanian NGO takes zero waste to school Experts from the Lithuanian non-governmental organisation (NGO) Žiedinė ekonomika (Circular Economy) have been organising seminars for the students at high schools in Vilnius high schools. Students have been introduced to the concepts of the circular economy, and in particular, the waste minimisation processes. The seminars are highly interactive and as Rasa Tumaševičiūtė from Žiedinė ekonomika… Zero Waste Europe · 30 Nov 2017 Global From Portugal to Bulgaria: People join the fight against wasteful products Have you ever counted how many products in your life need replacing every year? It is true that some stuff will always need replacing: you break a plate or outgrow some clothes. But how many others, from packaging to the things you use, have been designed to have a short life and be thrown away? […] Zero Waste Europe · 29 Nov 2017 Global Global market for bioplastics to grow by 20 percent Berlin, 29 November 2017 – The results of European Bioplastics’ annual market data update, presented today at the 12th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, confirm a stable growth of the global bioplastics industry. “The global market for bioplastics is predicted to grow by 20 percent over the next five years. The transition to a [...] European Bioplastics News · 29 Nov 2017 Global Time to wake up and smell the coffee: 6 zero waste coffee solutions Coffee doesn’t need to create any waste to taste great! By Nina Thomas In May of 2017, People’s Design Lab asked people to nominate for the products that were most #designed4trash as well as provide their ideas for more sustainable alternatives. The top 3 most voted items would then receive their own campaign. Believe it […] Zero Waste Europe · 27 Nov 2017 Global Over 150 organisations back call to ban oxo-degradable plastic packaging Oxo statement, New Plastics Economy, 2017 Oxo-degradable plastics are being produced and sold in many countries, with society being led to believe they safely biodegrade in nature. Yet significant evidence suggests oxo-degradable plastics do not safely biodegrade but fragment into small pieces, contributing to microplastics pollution. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics [...] European Bioplastics News · 22 Nov 2017 Global r-PLA is an attractive option due to its recycled and bio-based nature With growing market volumes of innovative bio-based and biodegradable plastics such as PLA (polylactic acid), the recycling of these materials is becoming a more viable option. We therefore spoke to Steve Dejonghe from Looplife Polymers Site, a recycler in Belgium that already successfully recycles PLA for a number of industrial projects, about the recyclability [...] European Bioplastics News · 22 Nov 2017 Global Member portrait: Neste Photo Lars Borger, Head of Product Marketing – Emerging Businesses at Neste (Suisse) SA In each issue of the Bioplastics Bulletin, we present 5 facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Lars Borger, Head of Product Marketing – Emerging Businesses at Neste shares some information on one of the worlds [...] European Bioplastics News · 22 Nov 2017 Global Braskem signs partnership with Haldor Topsoe to develop bio-based MEG Sugarcane © Wikimedia Commons Braskem, the Americas’ leading producer of thermoplastic resins, and Danish-based Haldor Topsoe, a world leader in catalysts and surface science, have signed a technological cooperation agreement to develop a pioneering route to produce monoethylene glycol (MEG) from sugar. The companies invest in the construction of a demonstration plant [...] European Bioplastics News · 22 Nov 2017 Global News in brief – November 2017 Perstorp launches world’s first portfolio of renewable polyols: In response to the fast-growing global need for more sustainable coatings, resins and synthetic lubricants, Perstorp has developed a portfolio of renewable alternatives to the essential polyols Pentaerythritol (Penta), Trimethylolpropane (TMP), and Neopentyl glycol (Neo). Two new polyols – Evyron and Neeture - complete the company’… European Bioplastics News · 22 Nov 2017 Global A victory for clean air and zero waste in Madrid, still pending implementation A major victory for clean air and environmental justice in Madrid The collective efforts of the community in Morata de Tajuña, 36 kilometers southeast of the center of Madrid led this year to a big victory in favor of the basic right to clean air. However, The Neighborhood Association, in collaboration with the group Ecologistas […] Zero Waste Europe · 20 Nov 2017 Global The dirty business of waste-to-energy subsidies: a story from Bilbao Subsidized energy production from not-entirely-renewable resources in Bilbao What is happening in Bilbao, Spain, is a real scam: millions of euro from public funds for renewable energy are allocated to an incineration facility that burns fossil natural gas alongside mixed waste. This is not an isolated case: due to an untransparent and arbitrary calculation method, […] Zero Waste Europe · 17 Nov 2017 Global A final push on the Waste Directive: our letter to the European Ministries The final stage of the negotiations on the EU Waste Directive is fast approaching, as the European Council’s Working Party on the Environment is discussing the last amendments. Zero Waste Europe, together with an alliance of European-wide civil society organisations, is calling on all national Ministries to urgently support ambitious measures in three key areas: a […] Zero Waste Europe · 17 Nov 2017 Global “Deliver or pay”, or how waste incineration causes recycling to slow down Is incineration compatible with recycling? A common argument in the past has been that we could recycle as much of the waste as possible and burn what remains. In reality, however, incineration can discourage recycling. Here’s why. Recycling VS incineration In Europe, burning waste in the so-called “waste-to-energy” plants is an increasingly common practice. About […] Zero Waste Europe · 31 Oct 2017 Global Milking it: How milk formula companies are putting profits before science The post Milking it: How milk formula companies are putting profits before science appeared first on Changing Markets . Changing Markets Foundation · 31 Oct 2017 Global Milking it: How milk formula companies are putting profits before science (中国人) The post Milking it: How milk formula companies are putting profits before science (中国人) appeared first on Changing Markets . Changing Markets Foundation · 31 Oct 2017 Global Sacando el jugo: Cómo las compañías de leche de fórmula anteponen los beneficios a la ciencia The post Sacando el jugo: Cómo las compañías de leche de fórmula anteponen los beneficios a la ciencia appeared first on Changing Markets . Changing Markets Foundation · 31 Oct 2017 Global Le pot au lait: Comment les fabricants de laits infantiles font passer leurs profits avant la santé des nourrissons The post Le pot au lait: Comment les fabricants de laits infantiles font passer leurs profits avant la santé des nourrissons appeared first on Changing Markets . Changing Markets Foundation · 31 Oct 2017 Global Memerah untung: Bagaimana perusahaan susu formula mengutamakan keuntungan daripada sains The post Memerah untung: Bagaimana perusahaan susu formula mengutamakan keuntungan daripada sains appeared first on Changing Markets . Changing Markets Foundation · 31 Oct 2017 Global Concrete policy asks for the revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy Launched and adopted in 2012, Europe's Bioeconomy Strategy addresses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into vital products and bio-energy. The strategy is needed to ensure that fossil resources are replaced with sustainable natural alternatives as part of the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. Its main purpose is to streamline [...] European Bioplastics News · 25 Oct 2017 Global Final speaker line-up of the European Bioplastics Conference 2017 Every year, the European Bioplastics Conference features a well-rounded conference programme attracting senior executives from across the bioplastics value chain, policy bodies, NGOs, and brand owners. We are happy to announce the final speaker line-up of this year’s conference, taking place on 28-29 November 2017 in Berlin, Germany. François de Bie, Chairman of [...] European Bioplastics News · 25 Oct 2017 Global Five-year EU flagship project to establish an innovative supply chain for FDCA and PEF Test bottles made from PET © Synvina PEFerence, a €25 million EU project, was officially launched at the end of September 2017. The partners will be cooperating for the next five years to establish an innovative value chain for FDCA (2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid) and PEF (Polyethylene furanoate), including the intended construction of a 50,000 tons [...] European Bioplastics News · 25 Oct 2017 Global News in brief – October 2017 IKEA’s first large-scale bioplastic product: The popular re-sealable sandwich bag ISTAD is the first large-scale bioplastic product from IKEA. The bags are made from bio-based plastics derived from sugarcane where everything is either used or reused, so there is no waste in the production. IKEA estimates to sell 1.4 billion ISTAD bags this year, which [...] European Bioplastics News · 25 Oct 2017 Global European Parliament supports use of biodegradable mulch films Berlin, 24 October 2017 – Today, the Plenary of the European Parliament voted in favour of supporting biodegradable mulch films in the revision of the EU Fertilizers Regulation. European Bioplastics (EUBP), the association for the bioplastics industry in Europe, welcomes the outcome. “The inclusion of biodegradable mulches in the EU Fertilizers Regulation will help [...] European Bioplastics News · 24 Oct 2017 Global ENVI vote embraces sustainable sourcing of biomass but misses the mark by encouraging mass conversion of coal power plants The Environment (ENVI) committee has understood the importance of better aligning the text with Circular Economy principles, energy efficiency standards and sustainable forest management practices. It nonetheless seriously jeopardises Europe’s bioeconomy by encouraging the mass conversion to biomass by low-efficiency coal power plants. “Despite significant technical improvements the ENVI commit… CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries) · 22 Oct 2017 Global Have blogs replaced Grandmothers, and how does this relate to food waste? The zero waste strategy is a way to create green jobs and infrastructure. This needs to be on the agenda for the G20 How often do you check on your grandmother and how often do you read a blog? Just kidding. But there is a truth to this headline. It doesn’t have to correlate with […] Zero Waste Europe · 20 Oct 2017 Global Winners of the European Paper Recycling Awards demonstrate why paper remains a recycling leader Every two years the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) rewards the best, brightest and most innovative paper recycling projects from across the continent with the prestigious European Paper Recycling Award. This year’s award ceremony, which took place on October 18, is jointly hosted by MEP Ms. Simona Bonafè (Italy), rapporteur of the Circular Economy dossier […] CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries) · 17 Oct 2017 Global New studies confirm: biodegradable plastics boost organic recycling and improve mechanical recycling Berlin, 17 October 2017 – Biodegradable plastics offer innovative solutions to improve recycling quality by facilitating the means for more efficient separate waste collection. This has been confirmed by a recent study jointly released by Corepla, the Italian Consortium for Collecting, Recycling, and Recovering Plastic Packaging, the Italian Composters Consortium (CIC), and Assobioplastiche, th… European Bioplastics News · 17 Oct 2017 Global Buying things may feel good… but getting broken things to work again feels even better Who doesn’t have a broken product at home waiting to be repaired? A kettle? A T-shirt? The one I see the most is the ‘famous’ broken glass screen on the mobile phone. The interesting thing is that rather than repairing the broken things, many people […] Zero Waste Europe · 16 Oct 2017 Global Copenhagen goes all in on incineration, and it’s a costly mistake A costly mistake for the city of Copenhagen The number one rule of investing is to buy low and sell high. Copenhagen, however, with the construction of the infamous Amager Bakke waste to energy plant, doesn’t see it that way. Listed at an estimated 500 million euros, the experiential Amager Bakke incineration unit in Copenhagen […] Zero Waste Europe · 13 Oct 2017 Global Sardinia rocks at waste management! We went on a field trip to discover why. In October 2017, we organised a study tour in Sardinia, the Mediterranean leader in waste management. Sardinia’s rapid progress in recycling, driven by strong economic incentives, demonstrates how Zero Waste principles can thrive in tourist hotspots. The tour included: Door-to-door waste collection in urban and tourist areas Coastal and tourist towns Composting and anaerobic digestion […] The p… Zero Waste Europe · 13 Oct 2017 Global GREENPAK (MALTA) A CAMPAIGN ON SUSTAINABLE USE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES AND THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF RECYCLING. EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global ÉCO ENTREPRISES QUÉBEC (CANADA) EEQ HOSTS 7TH CONFERENCE ON CANADIAN STEWARDSHIP EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global CONAI (ITALY) CONTRIBUTION DIVERSIFICATION DECIDED FOR PLASTIC PACKAGING EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global AFVALFONDS VERPAKKINGEN (THE NETHERLANDS) ACTION PLAN GLASS ON STEAM: ON THE WAY TO 90% GLASS RECYCLING IN THE NETHERLANDS EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global FTI (SWEDEN) NEW BROCHURE ABOUT PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global GREEN DOT CYPRUS PMD RECYCLING CATEGORY OF GREEN DOT CYPRUS IS ENRICHED EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global HE.R.R.CO (GREECE) ANNUAL REPORT 2016 PUBLISHED EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017 Global ÇEVKO (TURKEY) CIRCULAR ECONOMY CONGRESS, 5-6TH OCTOBER 2017 EXPRA · 9 Oct 2017