On the 18th April, The Circular Economy Package has been formally agreed by the EU Parliament. Final approval is required by ministers before becoming law and recycling targets will be a major part of the legislation. The UK Government will adopt this law as ongoing even when we leave the EU.
The EU states that a circular economy implies a reduction of waste to a bare minimum and adopting a culture of re-using, repairing, refurbishing and recycling those materials and products we currently use.
This will have positive effects on the environment, securing the supply of key raw materials and promote innovation which generates growth and helps to create new jobs in the long term. It can be easy to ignore and pay lip service to such legislative moves and leave it to others to adopt. However, when it’s put in black and white, who can really find fault?
Targets will include for businesses as well as households that recycling will be a minimum of 55% growing to 65%, with no more than 10% landfill. It is also notable that 65% of packaging materials will have to be recycled, rising to 70% by 2035.
It is therefore apparent that all businesses need to take a holistic approach to specifying materials and separate components used in products they manufacture or buy, as well as the packaging used. This is vital due to the requirements to comply with the EU Legislation in addition to being corporately responsible to environmental considerations.
At Printwaste, we can help at the design stage of product development to provide advice on the recycling aspects regarding ease of dismantling of products for re-use and recycling. For example, for one of our clients, we advised the use of a material made from one material type as opposed to a multi-laminate which would have rendered the product un-recycable. This is an area we see as being important in the future, in our role as partners with our clients and our team of experienced personnel are always available to you.
On a side note, I hope you are enjoying our newsletters and find them interesting. We want to bring you news and topics within the waste and secure shredding world that we feel will be of interest you. If there’s a particular topic you’d like us to cover please let us know.
