As electric vehicle continue their rollout, Euractiv spoke with several French industry players looking at battery recycling to capture and re-use critical raw materials.
The EU’s new requirements for circularity, renewables and the bioeconomy will require verification if they are to work, after EU legislators came to a hard-fought agreement on revising the union’s legislation covering packaging and packaging waste.
The European Commission has raised the alarm about Europe’s lack of self-sufficiency for substances critical to the green and digital transitions. But what makes these materials so critical?
On Monday, the Council of the EU unanimously voted to adopt the revised Waste Shipment Regulation. This text, which now becomes EU law, aims to encourage more local waste management and greater recycling of raw materials, while exports of waste to non-EU countries will be reduced.
The European Union’s decision to ban exports of plastic waste in and outside Europe is threatening to collapse the market for the collection and recycling of plastic packaging, Belgian industry association Valipac has warned.
Environmental groups have applauded a landmark political agreement reached at EU level last month to ban the export of waste for disposal both inside and outside of Europe, saying it puts an end to “waste colonialism” from rich nations.
European recyclers have raised concerns over plans to hand out free CO2 allowances to steelmakers, saying the methodology considered by Brussels puts recycled steel scrap at a disadvantage compared to primary steel made from iron ore, which is more polluting.
The EU is moving forward with new legislation to boost the recycling of rare earths contained in permanent magnets, used in everything from wind turbines to electric vehicles as well as home appliances like washing machines and microwave ovens.
The European recycling industry, backed by environmental groups, has called on Brussels to ban the export of metals recovered from used electric car batteries in a bid to promote recycling in Europe and reduce the bloc’s dependence on imported raw materials.
The European Commission’s proposed mandatory target to incorporate at least 25% of recycled plastics into new cars was met with praise from recyclers and scepticism from carmakers and the plastics industry.
After a rocky start to a week of negotiations, around 170 countries agreed to develop a first draft by November of what could become the first global treaty to curb plastic pollution by the end of next year.
European consumers suspect businesses are purposefully making products to break down quickly and be unrepairable. A new EU-wide “product passport” aims to extend their lifetime and improve recyclability, but there are big questions on how it will work.
Recycling textiles is no easy feat, with industrial processes still in their early years. Yet, recyclers say a looming obligation for EU countries to collect and sort used textiles will help the nascent industry get off the ground.
Draft EU rules could see millions of tyres shipped outside of Europe for dumping or incineration, recyclers warn.
Germany and France have outlined their priorities for the EU's upcoming Critical Raw Materials Act in a position paper that aims at boosting the resilience of supply chains and decreasing Europe's dependence on foreign suppliers like China.
European Commission plans to overhaul of the EU's waste shipment regulation could hit the recycling industry by creating a captive market in Europe with artificially low prices that will depress investments in recycling, the industry has warned.
France should start exploiting its own lithium resources to meet increased demand stemming from a shift away from fossil fuels, Barbara Pompili, the country's environment minister, said in a video interview published on Thursday (17 February) by business daily Les Echos.
PET bottles used as packaging for soft drinks and mineral waters are often touted as the greenest type of plastic, with one of the highest recycling rates in the industry. But those claims are new being challenged by new research.
An EU-funded certification scheme using blockchain is being developed for rare earths as automakers demand proof that materials used to make magnets for electric vehicles (EVs) are not linked to toxic pollution. The system will set global standards and give confidence …
The European Commission is preparing to table a proposal on 30 March that will force companies to substantiate their environmental claims, using an EU-wide methodology that has been in the making for nearly ten years.
Getting enough volume is the first challenge for recyclers when it comes to dealing with lightweight packaging such as crisp packets and food wrappers. To boost quantities and make recycling worthwhile, the European Commission is looking at ways of harmonising waste collection across the EU.
Simple design and using at least 90% of the same plastic is the key to easy-to-recycle packaging for foods like crisps and chocolate, according to the industry.
The European Commission plans to introduce a "digital product passport" early next year that would contain information about the composition of goods on the European market to help boost their chances of being reused and recycled.
Not all recycling is equal. As the European Commission prepares to revise the EU's packaging waste directive, policymakers want to remove degradation and waste from the process.
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