Open the document On 28 May 2018, the European Commission presented a proposal for a Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain single-use plastic (SUP) products on the environment. The proposal is part of a wider framework of policy initiatives in the European Union aimed at reducing plastic waste and particularly [...]
Open the document In order to minimise and ultimately prevent further pollution of the marine environment, European Bioplastics: considers the full implementation of EU waste legislation and an increase in the efficiency of waste management crucial; supports the gradual phase-out of landfilling for plastic products in Europe and appropriate measures to expand recycling [...]
Open the document Efficient waste management is key to the European Commission’s flagship policy goal of a resource-efficient Europe and its circular economy vision. The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC, WFD) defines a five-step waste hierarchy ranking the treatments of waste based on their ability to conserve resources. Bioplastics can be biobased, like [...]
Open the document European Bioplastics (EUBP) welcomes the EU Commission’s efforts to replace the traditional linear economy model (make, use, dispose) by implementing an ambitious circular economy throughout Europe. Bioplastics, and biodegradable plastics in particular, can play an essential part in putting the envisioned circularity model into practice. This paper refers to biodegradable [...]
Open the document Biodegradable and compostable products that are certified according to the harmonized European standard EN 13432 (or EN 14995) are suitable for organic recycling and will completely biodegrade in an industrial composting plant, with no adverse effects on the process or on the final product (compost). These materials are working well [...]
Open the document Efficient waste management is key to the European Commission’s flagship policy of a resource efficient Europe and its vision of a circular bioeconomy. Yet, today, the waste management infrastructure still varies immensely within the EU. In the European Union Waste Framework Directive a waste hierarchy has been defined in five [...]
Open the document Chemical recycling has gained increased attention as a promising recovery technology, especially for post-consumer plastic waste. It is seen as a complementary solution to mechanical recycling, being better suited for difficult to recycle plastics like multi-layer solutions or heavily contaminated plastics. Yet, its availability at commercial scale is currently still [...]
Open the document The Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWD) was first issued in 1994. Its main purpose was to increase the recovery rate of packaging waste and to cut disposal (landfilling). Apart from mechanical recycling also biological (organic) recycling was defined, and a specific standard for identifying "packaging recoverable by means [...]
Open the document Mechanical Recycling is currently the dominant recycling technique for post-consumer plastic packaging waste. Sorting and reprocessing technologies are available in most EU Member States with varying levels of recycling quotas. EU waste legislation requires binding recycling targets in the future. Recycling biobased plastics increases the fossil carbon reduction potential by [...]
Open the document Anaerobic digestion is a process in which organic matter is degraded by a microbial population of bacteria in the absence of oxygen. This process produces methane and carbon dioxide (biogas) and compost . During the process, no heat is being released. The resulting biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat [...]
