circular economy

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Spain takes a further step towards sustainable development with consultation on draft Circular Economy Strategy.

By Rosa Espín and Leticia Sitges

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment has launched a public consultation on a draft Circular Economy Strategy, which will involve the business sector, not-for-profit entities, and citizenship in the drafting process. The public consultation was open for comments until 12 March 2018.

One of the main problems of the linear traditional economy is the large production of waste that is not recycled nor valorized. According to the latest Eurostat data, Spain produced 111 million tons of waste in 2014, out of which only 24.32% was recycled (which is several points below the EU average of 36%). The draft Circular Economy Strategy aims to address this through the implementation of the so-called “circular economy,” in which the value of products, materials, and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible and waste generation is minimized. Achieving sustainable development is a key point of this strategy, in line with the objectives set out by the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 adopted by the United Nations.

By Michael Green and Paul Davies

Following decision C(2017)7124 of the European Commission (EC), the EC has launched its Work Programme for 2018 (WP 2018). WP 2018 outlines plans for achieving the EC’s primary policy objectives during the next 12 months — with particular attention to environmental issues.

WP 2018 outlines four “Focus Areas” (FAs) that envisage major work across programme boundaries. The EC has allocated a significant budget in order to facilitate such work at a “sufficient scale, depth and breadth”. Two of the four FAs, which specifically relate to environmental considerations, are described below.

By Paul Davies and Michael Green

A new European Parliament briefing highlights the benefits of, and difficulties associated with, transitioning the chemicals industry to a circular economy.

The traditional economy typically involves purchasing and using a product, and then disposing that product when it no longer has utility (i.e. the “take-make-dispose” approach to resources). Conversely, a circular economy seeks to extend the life cycle of products by aiming to both extract and retain the maximum value of their component materials.

A greater emphasis on product re-use and mechanical recycling in the chemicals industry requires developing new solutions and manufacturing products intentionally designed for re-use. This presents a growth opportunity and a new source of competitiveness for European operators compared with raw material-rich regions, whilst providing the more obvious benefits of preserving increasingly scarce resources and injecting renewed value into waste products.

By Paul Davies

The launch of the Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019, covering the eco-design and energy labelling framework last month is another key milestone in the Commission’s plan to transition the EU to a more circular economy.

Key points to note from the Working Plan include:

  • The current state of play is that the Commission have adopted 28 Ecodesign Regulations, 16 Energy Labelling Delegated Regulations and three recognised Voluntary Agreements. A number of these regulations will be subject to review in 2019.
  • Going forward, the Commission shall publish a working plan outlining an indicative list of energy related product groups which will be considered priorities for the next three years.
  • Further measures to be adopted include: (i) an eco-design measure for heating and cooling products; (ii) an eco-design and energy-labelling measure on verification tolerances to improve product testing and reduce the scope for cheating; and (iii) a Recommendation for self-regulation to support industry in the pursuit of voluntary agreements as an alternative to regulation.