The circular economy, including new waste and recycling laws, will represent \u201chalf\u201d of the EU\u2019s effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and will be erected as \u201cthe number one priority\u201d of the upcoming European Green Deal, officials have said.<\/p>\n
The EU\u2019s 2015 circular economy action plan \u2013 which included a ban on single-use plastics and new recycling targets \u2013\u00a0has \u201cpaved the way for something new, something bigger,\u201d according to a senior official overseeing the policy area at the European Commission.<\/p>\n
The circular economy is \u201cthe number one priority\u201d for the European Green Deal of incoming EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said K\u0119stutis Sadauskas, who is the director for circular economy and green growth at the Commission\u2019s environment directorate.<\/p>\n
Unveiled in December 2015, the first circular economy action plan became one of the hallmarks of the outgoing EU executive. Highlights included a ban on single-use plastic products like cutlery and food containers. And at least 70% of packaging will have to be recycled by 2030 \u2013 including 55% of plastics \u2013 under new rules brokered last year.<\/p>\n
But that was \u201conly the beginning of the journey,\u201d Sadauskas said at a recent EURACTIV event. Indeed, the European Commission is now preparing a second circular economy action plan that \u201cwill come out rather soon after the new Commission takes office,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The new action plan is in fact already written and ready to be pulled out of the drawer. All that\u2019s missing is a few minor details and, most importantly, the finishing touches of the political message, EURACTIV understands.<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf\u201d of 2050 climate goal<\/p>\n
And what is already clear is that the scale of the new plan is going to be bigger. Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming Commission president, wants Europe to cut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. And EU sources say the new circular economy action plan will make up \u201chalf\u201d of the carbon cuts expected under the Green Deal.<\/p>\n
The 2050 climate objective will be \u201cthe big highlight\u201d of the Green Deal and \u201cthe headline goal that drives everything else,\u201d Sadauskas indicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCircularity can bridge half of the gap towards the 1.5C target,\u201d the official said, citing heavy industries where circular solutions can help cut \u201chundreds of millions of tonnes\u201d of CO2.<\/p>\n
There is much still to be done to make the economy truly circular, though. Global resource use is expected to double in the next 40 years as a growing share of the Asian population adopts Western lifestyles, Sadauskas pointed out. And much of those materials are still going to waste, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still living in a linear world,\u201d the official warned, saying only 12% of materials currently find their way back into the economy via recycling and re-use.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019ve done is only laying the foundations,\u201d the EU official said. \u201cBut the real big transition still needs to happen and that\u2019s what we\u2019re planning for the next political phase.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plenty of ideas<\/p>\n
There are already plenty of ideas about what to do next.<\/p>\n
Last month, EU member states adopted conclusions on the circular economy, saying \u201cfurther ambitious efforts are needed\u00a0to stimulate a systemic transition to a sustainable society\u201d.<\/p>\n
National governments notably invited the Commission \u201cto adopt\u00a0a new circular economy action plan\u00a0with targeted actions\u201d in industrials sectors which haven\u2019t been tackled before. Industries they mentioned as the next target of EU regulation include textiles, transport, food as well as the construction and demolition sectors.<\/p>\n
The EU Council of Ministers also demanded \u201cmore measures\u201d to encourage the recycling and re-use of batteries and plastics. And it called on the Commission to assess whether eco-design\u00a0principles could be extended to \u201cnew product groups,\u201d citing ICT products such as computers and smartphones.<\/p>\n
Other ideas mentioned in the ministerial declaration include the introduction of new EU criteria on the\u00a0durability, repairability and recyclability of products, as well as introducing a minimum percentage of recycled materials going into the manufacturing of new products.<\/p>\n
This is music to the ears of environmental NGOs, which have long pleaded for extending eco-design rules to new categories of products.<\/p>\n
The latest energy-saving standards for appliances such as fridges, TVs and washing-machines, adopted in October this year, will save 170 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy annually by 2030, said Jean-Pierre Schweitzer, from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a green NGO.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the equivalent to the energy consumption of Italy,\u201d Schweitzer said, describing the related energy savings as \u201cmassive\u201d and \u201ca big European success story\u201d.<\/p>\n
For the first time, eco-design measures also included provisions to make products easier to recycle with minimum repairability requirements aimed at extending their lifetime, Schweitzer said.<\/p>\n
But many other products still aren\u2019t covered by similar rules at the EU level, he added, referring to the building sector, textiles, batteries and ICT.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a hook there for policymakers to make policies which are publicly appealing,\u201d Schweitzer pointed out, drawing attention to the unusually positive headlines seen in the British tabloid press when the latest round of eco-design measures was adopted in October.<\/p>\n
Social consequences<\/p>\n
Politicians indeed feel encouraged to go further. But they\u2019re also cautious about the impact EU regulations can have on the competitiveness of industry and the price of everyday consumer goods.<\/p>\n
While \u201cthere is clear momentum\u201d behind restrictions on single-use plastic, some regulations may also trigger \u201ca systemic transition which should also be fair and just,\u201d said Bojan Lalic, environment counsellor at Croatia\u2019s EU representation in Brussels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a need for further funding,\u201d Lalic told the EURACTIV event, calling for a \u201cholistic view\u201d on climate and industrial policies to make sure no one is left behind in the transition to a more circular economy.<\/p>\n
Sadauskas said he understood those concerns but still urged companies to adopt new circular business models, warning they risk going out of business if they fail to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe circular economy is a transition. And it is meant to be a rather harsh and at times disruptive transition,\u201d the official explained, saying the circular economy \u201cis meant to leave companies doing things the old way simply going out of business\u201d.<\/p>\n
Taking single-use plastics as an example, Sadauskas said some manufacturers have stopped using polystyrene for food containers because recyclers simply don\u2019t want those products anymore. And this can be disruptive for companies manufacturing those materials, which risk going out of business if they don\u2019t find alternatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m still surprised there is still such big support from society, knowing it can really disrupt,\u201d the Lithuanian official remarked.<\/p>\n
Waste shipment review \u201calready drafted\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, transformation is possible, he added, citing the Belgian materials technology and recycling company Umicore as a shining example of successful industrial transition.<\/p>\n
Still a traditional coal mining company in the 1980s, Umicore is now considered one of the big European champions in the refining and recycling of precious metals used in green technologies such as car batteries, Sadauskas pointed out.<\/p>\n
But the Belgian company also has its issues with EU policy, particularly when it comes to regulations on chemicals and hazardous waste shipment, which Umicore says prevents the creation of a battery recycling value chain in Europe.<\/p>\n
The Commission is aware of the problem and plans to review those rules as part of its upcoming circular economy action plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout waste shipment, we will review it,\u201d Sadauskas said. \u201cIn fact, I already have the draft of the review,\u201d he added, saying the new rules will allow waste shipment to take place across borders \u201cso that it goes around just like any other product.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the official also warned the proposal was likely to \u201cface major resistance\u201d from EU member states when it reaches the EU Council of Ministers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMember states don\u2019t want to let go of the control. They don\u2019t trust each other. And that\u2019s going to be a major barrier\u201d to pass through legal changes to EU waste rules, he said.<\/p>\n
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