Displaying items by tag: European Union

Europe: The European Parliament voted in favour of multiple amendments to the European Commission’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) on 22 November 2023. The amendments remove, modify or make non-binding the PPWR’s 2040 reuse targets. Meanwhile, 2030 targets were made adjustable to recycling rates. Total packaging volumes are still required to drop by 5% by 2030 and by 15% by 2040 in each member state.

Sustainability lobbying organisation Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) described the introduction of recycling rates into a lower schema of waste targets as ‘comparing apples with pears.’ ECOS attributed the amendments to a ‘barrage’ of false claims, scaremongering and lobbying from industry players.

ECOS programme manager Mathias Falkenberg said “This decision will not sufficiently address rising plastic and packaging waste or the pollution crisis. The European Parliament has just weakened a perfectly feasible solution to tackle throwaway culture without offering an alternative. It is very frustrating that the European Commission’s progressive prevention and reuse agenda has not received full support from the Parliament today.”

ECOS founded the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC), an association of companies focused on alternative building materials production, in May 2023.

UK: The RDF Industry Group has re-elected Netherlands-based Attero marketing manager Robert Corijn as its chair for 2021. The term will be Corijn’s fourth in the position. Totus Environmental managing director Andy Jones takes on the role of vice chair for a second consecutive year.

Corijn said “Since first taking up the role of chair of the RDF Industry Group in 2018 there have been significant challenges that have affected the RDF industry, and 2020 was no different, having seen the roll-out of the Dutch import tax and the Covid-19 pandemic. We are also seeing some countries developing carbon taxes on waste treatment or other import restrictions. The RDF Industry Group is a strong believer in European cooperation – when we all work together, Europe can move much more waste up the waste hierarchy. Moving waste from landfill to recycling and to energy-from-waste provides a huge contribution to carbon savings. Carbon emissions do not know national borders, so our group will ask policy makers across Europe to consider a global perspective. The group has also played a vital role in information sharing and supporting our members, and I look forward to continuing to work together in 2021 as we see the waste-derived fuel industry develop, and as any new relationship between the UK and the European Union (EU) begins.”

Germany: Bilfinger, the civil and industrial construction specialist, is working with the American-based PRTI, whose thermal decomposition technology processes tyres into fuel. The aim of the partnership is to align PRTI’s tyre processors with Dutch safety and environmental standards, making them useable for waste processors and cement companies anywhere in the European Union.

Ethiopia: The Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Chemicals and Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute are working with cement producers to replace imported coal with biomas in a bid to lower carbon CO2 and reduce reliance on foreign currency. The institute has conducted a feasibility study, with the support of the Global Climate Fund and the European Union, studying using a weed, Prophecies Newfora, as potential biomass, according to the Reporter newspaper. Plants run by Dangote Cement and Habesha Cement factories took part in the study. The government is also encouraging cement producers to use locally mined coal until the biomass project becomes fully operational.

Belgium: Cembureau, the European cement association, has called on European Union (EU) member states to promote the use of waste as a fuel for cement production. It made the call during an event that the association hosted during EU Green Week. The focus of EU Green Week in 2019 is on the proper implementation and impact of EU environmental laws.

“There is no technological limitation for the cement sector to reach 60% co-processing rate in 2030 and it could process 15.7Mt of waste. We believe that the EU and member states can help bring this about by introducing legislation to promote co-processing and recognising its place in a revised waste hierarchy within national waste framework laws,” said Cembureau’s chief executive Koen Coppenholle. At present the European cement industry has an average alternative fuels substitution rate of 44%.

UK/Europe: Cemex’s South Ferriby cement plant is participating in the European Union (EU) supported enhanced energy and resource efficiency and performance in process industry operations via onsite and cross-sectorial symbiosis (EPOS) project. Designed to enable cross-sector industrial working, the project highlights case studies exemplifying ways for companies to use wastes from other industries to deliver greater efficiency, save raw materials, and contribute to more sustainable processes.

The South Ferriby plant has worked with other companies, including the INEOS chemical company, to determine how waste from INEOS’s production could be used as part of the cement manufacturing process. In addition Cemex Poland and Cemex Research Group in Switzerland will also represent Cemex in the project.

“It is a privilege for Cemex’s cement plant in South Ferriby to participate in this project, collaborating with other companies and partners across Europe. This helps to ensure that we operate our cement plant as efficiently as possible, while learning lessons that we can apply to our other facilities,” said Kevin Groombridge, South Ferriby Cement Plant Environment Manager.

UK: David Palmer-Jones, the chief executive officer for Suez recycling and recovery UK, has warned that there is a risk of a void in national policy as the UK negotiates its future relationship with the European Union (EU).

"Although we supported Britain remaining in the European Union, Suez recycling and recovery UK respects the democratic will of the population and our focus remains on our policy of deriving the maximum value from the waste produced by UK households and businesses every day,” said Palmer-Jones. He added that EU membership for Britain has been a ‘crucial and effective’ driver of environmental policy and legislation in the country.

UK: David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of Suez recycling and recovery, has warned that if the UK left the European Union (EU) it would be bad for the country’s waste and recycling sector.

“Leaving the EU would be detrimental to the environmental services sector because the EU is the driving force behind much of the environmental policy and legislation which enables companies like Suez to invest in new services and infrastructure,” said Palmer-Jones. “Should the UK referendum be decided in favour of a Brexit and the UK leave the EU, there is a clear risk that the current EU-led policy drives towards creating a circular economy within the UK will stall or even move back a step, which in turn could have a negative impact on future investment decisions into UK infrastructure.” He added that a UK exit from the EU would cause infrastructure investment in the waste and recycling sector to be re-evaluated.

An inquiry by the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) on environmental policy in the EU and its effects in the UK was published on 19 April 2016. It looked at what the implications might be for the UK if it left the EU. It found that the ‘overwhelming view’ of witnesses across the sector was that EU membership has been positive for the UK environment. However, one member of the committee, Tory MP Peter Lilley accused the environmental groups who gave evidence of having vested interests because they received EU funding, according to the Press Association.