As the European Union undergoes a crucial revision of its Waste Framework Directive, there is a pressing need for bold and innovative strategies to address the crisis of waste incineration and landfilling, write Alex Darut and Janek Vahk.
The EU is considering defining post-consumer plastic waste as "plastic waste placed on the market of a Member State or a third country" - a definition which could threaten the entire recycling industry in Europe, write Lauriane Veillard and Joan Marc Simon.
In the face of an escalating packaging waste crisis, European citizens and circular businesses are still eagerly waiting for the EU institutions to finally deliver credible rules to stop the growth of throwaway packing, writes Marco Musso.
Europe needs to shift towards reusable packaging to help bring it back within planetary boundaries. This requires structural change, underpinned by an ambitious packaging waste law, and lawmakers in the European Parliament need to back this, writes Aline Maigret.
Interacting with corrugated cardboard is a near daily occurrence in most people’s lives. It protects essential goods of all types as they travel around the globe and eventually end up in stores nearby or on our front doorsteps. Eleni Despotou …
The food delivery sector is a major contributor to packaging waste, and by focusing on the sustainability of its packaging it can attract a larger consumer base while doing good for the planet, writes Sébastien Pellion.
The revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) is a rare opportunity to scale up a competitive reuse sector in Europe and reverse a half-century addiction to single-use packaging and record levels of waste, writes Delphine Lévi Alvarès.
As the European Commission prepares to publish the revision of the packaging and packaging waste legislation, the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) has released a series of three scientific studies comparing recyclable and reusable packaging solutions.
Achieving a new balance in the way food and drinks are served in single use and reusable containers requires careful preparation, progressive introduction and feasible timelines to be safe, sustainable and sustained long-term.
Packaging has been a focus of environmental policies for a number of years and for good reason. The simple existence of what is considered a seventh continent called the Great Pacific garbage patch is a reminder of the damage associated with poor packaging and recycling systems, but also an incentive to act.
The world faces some formidable environmental challenges, from the climate crisis to plastic waste and deforestation, but they are not insurmountable. With a will, and with the right resources, we can tackle them. This is a task for all of …
Packaging waste, sustainable shopping, climate change, and Coronavirus vaccines: the FEVE Secretary General reflects on past achievements and future challenges, as the UN names 2022 the International Year of Glass.
COP26 was a milestone, with the circular economy recognised as key to tackling global challenges, including climate change and reducing the pressure on our precious natural resources.
Natural Mineral Waters Europe, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and Zero Waste Europe see Deposit Refund Systems (DRS) as a very efficient waste collection method to achieve a truly circular economy for beverage packaging.
Beverage cartons are a low carbon, recyclable packaging solution that supports the EU Green Deal ambitions and actively contributes to reducing a negative environmental impact by sourcing sustainable raw materials for its production.
The world has managed to recycle enough plastic since the 1950s to equal the weight of 88,000 Eiffel Towers. Pretty impressive. The bad news is this is less than one-tenth[1] of the 8.3 billion tonnes[2] of …
Consumers appreciate recyclates in packaging as long as it doesn’t affect the quality, functionality and price of the product. But how do companies remain competitive in view of added costs for high-quality recycling and the low price of virgin plastics? Michael Laermann tries to find the answer.
As the world awakes to the threat posed by palm oil and soy to our forests, it’s in danger of overlooking how paper and packaging drives industrial logging, mis-shapes millions of hectares of forest landscapes and creates monoculture plantations, writes Sini Eräjää.
The function of food packaging has traditionally been limited to passive protection from external influences, but innovations are quickly changing its role. Packaging is getting active and intelligent, able to monitor and interact with food and environment and maintain food freshness for longer, writes Dr Milka Sokolović.
Without oversight, the implementation of the circular economy package entails a huge risk of Member States going into different directions and introducing barriers to the internal market, warns Virginia Janssens.
Contrary to popular myths, most plastic pollution at sea occurs on the seabed and on beaches, not on the surface. If we want to secure the health of our oceans, we need to start looking at preventing marine plastic litter at source, writes Chris Sherrington.
The European Commission's Circular Economy package is a balanced and achievable proposal but what now counts are the steps taken by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers to ensure a global mindset, effective enforcement, and strong recycling ambition, write Maarten Labberton and Magdalena Garczynska.
