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France - TRIMAN mandatory from Jan-22 despite fears of a fragmentation of the Single Market - 8 August 2021
Before end Sep-21 PROs are to submit for by authorities'
approval what harmonized information should accompany the logo to
specify sorting or return details.
Decree 2021-835 details implementing requirements for Art. L541-9-3 of the Environmental Code as amended by the ACEG Law. This Article notably requires that “any
product placed on the market for households …, excluding household
glass beverage packaging, is subject to signage [with the TRIMAN logo].
This signage is accompanied by information specifying the methods
of sorting or returning the waste from the product. … This information
appears on the product, its packaging or, failing that, in the other
documents supplied with the product …”
The Decree:-
- requires that the TRIMAN logo is shown on all products and packaging* subject to EPR
that ends up in households, except glass beverage packaging from
1-Jan-22. Producers, whether or not complying through a PRO, may apply
the provisions of this decree before Jan-22;
- does not exempt EEE and batteries from the Triman labelling requirement but allows the Triman logo to be ‘replaced
… by another common signage regulated by the European Union …, in
accordance with the principle of mutual recognition …, provided that
this other symbol … is mandatory. The same replacement principle applies to the ‘accompanying information specifying the methods of sorting …’.
- requires PROs to submit a proposal for the ‘accompanying information specifying the methods of sorting’ [‘sorting instructions’] to the Authorities for approval;
- adds that individual compliers must also apply signage, in addition to specifying the methods of sorting and take back as part of their approval request [the Jun-20 omitted the signage requirement].
The Decree also sets out conditions for developing signage for a DRS.
Industry rejection and Commission preparations for a harmonised EU-wide approach
The publication of the Decree comes despite a broad front of rejections of the Jun-20 draft by
nearly all major industry bodies, who fear that a France specific
labelling and information requirements will lead to a fragmentation and
erosion of the Internal Market. Some called for intervention by
the European Commission (see stakeholder comments on TRIS here).
In the context of the Commission's ongoing preparations of the refit of the Packaging Directive, the Commission acknowledges
the lack of an EU-harmonised standard for the labelling of packaging as
‘recyclable’ has resulted in a large range of associated labels and
symbols being applied across EU Member States and will examine the
appropriateness of harmonised labelling and EU-definition of
recyclability. In addition, the Commission will propose to harmonise
separate waste collection systems by identifying the most effective
combinations of separate collection models while taking account of
regional and local conditions, common bin colours, harmonised symbols
for key waste types, product labels, information campaigns and economic
instruments.
*as well as packaging used by catering and consumed outside the home
See also:
Joint industry call for an EU approach to packaging waste labelling - 24-Jun-21
Triman:
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Greece - New framework legislation reforms waste sector - 5 August 2021
A new comprehensive waste management framework Law transposes
the amended EU Waste Framework and Packaging Directives, while making
substantial reforms to the waste management sector.
The Law on an "Integrated Framework for Waste Management" (4819/2021) was published 22-Jul-21. It replaces the Law on Alternative Management of Packaging and Other Waste (2939/2001), which had become bulky and cumbersome to navigate due to it having been amended dozens of times over the last 2 decades.
In addition to transposing EU Directives 2018/851 and 2018/852, the Law
introduces important changes concerning waste management and EPR. We
cover the key changes below.
Producer responsibility organisations (PROs): The approval, administrative and operational requirements on PROs (termed ‘alternative management systems’) are overhauled.
- The minimum requirements on PROs are transposed as per EU Directive 2018/851. In addition,
- new
transparency requirements are imposed on PROs, who now must publish
their “administrative costs” (payroll, board compensation, rents and
utilities, the cost of consumables, contracted services, and all
expenses) on their websites;
- PROs’
financial contributions are to be modulated where possible [Note: Some
PROs had already been obligated to modulate their fees as per the
requirements of their approvals].
- The
restrictions on ownership of PROs are revised to allow entities which
were established by producers to aid with the setup of PROs. In
addition, the administrative obligations on PROs are relaxed.
- PROs
face higher accountability for non-compliance with their objectives.
Fines for underachievement of the collection targets will be issued and
set as percentages of annual revenues from financial contributions)
increasing every consecutive year the targets are missed. In addition,
PROs will be required to re-formulate their compliance plans in the
event of underachievement of the targets.
- PROs
are required to submit either a) a financial guarantee to the Deposits
and Loans Fund, b) a letter of guarantee, or c) a blocked bank account
(accessible to EOAN) at a value of 5% of total annual revenues from
financial contributions, or EUR 30k for those that do not charge
recycling fees.
- Approval
fees for individual compliers is decreased from EUR 9,000 and 19,500 to
EUR 6,000 and 18,000. The approval fees for collective PROs remain
unchanged.
Online marketplaces are to register, join a PRO and pay financial contributions on non-compliant EPR-subjected products listed on the platforms.
New EPR subjected products: From 2024, EPR is applied
to 7 new products: agricultural plastics, mattresses, furniture,
textiles, toys, medicines and sports equipment. Implementing decisions
are to be formulated by 2022, while producers are expected to have
established and arranged themselves into PROs by end 2023.
Plastic beverage bottles containing PVC, from 1-Jun-22, are
- prohibited from being marked with a recyclability label (such as the 'möbius loop');
- subject
to a recycling fee of EUR 0.08 per piece at the POS chargeable to the
consumer (public revenue payable to the tax authority quarterly).
Plastic carrier bags
- are to be labelled/marked with the place and date of manufacture and the producer’s National Producer Register (NTUA) number;
- of
all thickness are subject to a recycling fee of EUR 0.07 per piece
(public revenue payable to the tax authority quarterly) – to be shown on
sales documents [Note: Fees of EUR 0.07 are already applicable to
non-compostable / non-biodegradable lightweight (Jan-18) and very
light-weight (Jan-21) plastic carrier bags];
- are,
from 2025, required to contain at least 30% recycled content, with the
exception of ultra-thin carrier bags and biodegradable or biodegradable /
compostable plastic carrier bags.
SUP cups and food containers are subject to an
‘environmental protection levy’, payable to EOAN (rather than the green
fund) to provide financial aid to the plastics sector
(adaption/diversification) and to promote environmental awareness,
prevention and recycling actions (implemented through an amendment to
the Oct-20 SUP Law).
Targets: The MSW recycling targets are transposed as
per EU Directive 2018/851 and the packaging recycling targets and
calculation methodology are transposed as per EU Directive 2018/852.
The packaging producer definition is revised, covering entities who
- pack
goods or outsource the packaging of goods on their behalf or import
packaged goods, regardless of the sales technique used, including the
distance contract, for the purpose of placing them on the Greek market,
and
- manufacture or import packaging intended for filling at a point of sale, including transport bags.
Deposit-refund system (DRS): From 5-Jan-23, producers
and fillers are to establish a nationwide DRS for single-use aluminium
(< 1.5L), glass and plastic (< 3L) beverage containers managed by a
single PRO. Note that a DRS for plastic containers is regulated under
the SUP Law.
Separate collection of packaging materials:
Municipalities are to separately collect paper, glass, plastics and
metals, extending to biowaste from 2023 and textiles and household
hazardous waste from 2024. The collection containers are to be coloured
according to Annex V B. In addition,
- from
5-Jan-22, facilities/establishments with public access (cinemas, sports
stadiums, concert halls, conference centers, educational facilities,
universities, airports, hospitals etc.) are to separately collect waste
paper, glass, plastics, metals.
- from 1-Sep-22, this requirement is extended to schools, who must also separately collect waste batteries, food and biowaste.
PAYT financing mechanism: The legal basis for the
establishment of ‘pay-as-you-throw’ (PAYT) MSW financing mechanisms is
established and made mandatory for municipalities with a population over
- 100,000 inhabitants from 1-Jan-23, and
- 20,000 inhabitants from 1-Jan-28.
Also worthy of note:
- Products that are not suitable for sale (defective etc.) are to be either donated or recycled.
- Material labelling as per Commission Decision 97/129/EC remains voluntary.
- EOANs
role and responsibilities are strengthened, and the approval procedures
for PROs streamlined and subject to deadlines to prevent approval
delays [Note: Packaging PRO H.E.R.R.CO’s approval had been pending for a
number of years prior to its last approval in May-20 due to
irregularities with its finances].
- The sanctions for non-compliance have increased.
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France - Draft rules implementing minimum share of reusable packaging released for comment - 4 August 2021
A draft proposes to implement yet another of the innovative
provisions* introduced into the Environment Code by the Jan-20 AGEC Law.
A draft decree submitted to TRIS for stakeholder comments by 28-Oct-21 proposes to implement the Environmental Code’s Art. L541-1 I and III** (as amended by the AGEC Law) which requires “France
[to increase] the share of reused packaging put on the market compared
to single-use packaging, so as to reach a proportion of 5% of reused
packaging … in 2023, expressed in sales units or sales unit equivalent,
and 10% … in 2027”.
The draft decree aims to achieve this objective by: -
- requiring
companies responsible for POM of at least 10K units of packaged goods
per annum to individually or collectively place a target percentage of
their products on the market in reused packaging;
- setting annually increasing rates for the target percentage (reuse quota): from 1.5% in 2022 to 10% in 2015;
- requiring
packaging PROs to support meeting the quota by eco-modulating recycling
fees to encourage reuse and by financially supporting packaging reuse
and reutilisation solutions with at least 2% of their revenues.
The proposed implementing provisions in more detail
From 1-Jan-22, a new subsection in the regulatory part of the
Environment Code entitled “Reuse of packaging” would come into force
that: -
- applies to household and non-household packaging of any material,
except for a) packaging whose reuse is prohibited for health or safety
reasons and b) - until Jan-24 only - packaging of certain rural and
fishery products.
- clarifies that packaging qualifies as “reused” if it is re-used at least once for an identical purpose
and that the reuse is a) organised by or on behalf of the producer or
b) pertains to the refill of a bulk service packaging at POS or c) a
refill at the end-users home.
- introduces an annually increasing target share for reused packaging as
% of total POM by packaging sales units or sales unit equivalents:
1.5% in 2022; 5 % in 2023; 6 % in 2024; 7 % in 2025; 8 % in 2026
and 10 % in 2027.
- notes
that the target share applies to primary, secondary, or tertiary
packaging, and that a study on the implementation of the quota by
various sectors and for product categories – to be completed by 1-Dec-22
- may lead to a revision of the targets for certain sectors and products.
- requires companies responsible for POM to meet the reuse quota for their own products individually or collectively if they place least 10,000 units of packaged goods on the market.
The obligation will be phased in: Until end 2024 it will apply only to
companies with a turnover above EUR 50 million. During 2025, the
threshold is EUR 20 million, and from 2026 only the unit threshold
applies.
- requires approved packaging PROs that implement this obligation to:-
- add
a re-use target share corresponding to at least the targets mentioned
above to their operating approvals (cahiers des charges);
- eco-modulate recycling fees (to encourage reuse);
- develop
and financially support (by open tender and with at least at least 2%
of revenues) packaging reuse and reutilisation* solutions on the basis
of Art. L. 541-10-18(V).
Reusable quota complements SUP packaging reduction target of ‘3R Decree’
As regards plastic packaging, the proposed mandatory quota for reusable
packaging would complement the May-21 “3R Decree” which notably requires
marketers to reduce the tonnage of plastics POM in single-use packaging
by 20% compared to 2018, whereby at least half of this target ‘must be obtained by recourse to re-use and réutilisation of packaging’*.
* For example cross-cutting provisions applicable to all 22 product
groups subject to EPR (news item), the repairability Index for
EEE, etc.
** Art. L541-1 III: To achieve the national objectives for the reuse of
packaging set in 1 ° of I, a decree defines the minimum proportion of
reused packaging to be placed on the market annually in France. These
proportions may be different for each flow of packaging and product
categories to take into account the margins for progress existing in
each sector, the need to respect the environment and the requirements of
consumer hygiene or safety. To this end, people belonging to a sector
of activity concerned and collectively placing on the French market each
year more than a certain quantity of packaging are required to comply
on average with this minimum proportion of packaging reused for their
own products,
***as defined in Art. L541-1-1:
- Reuse
(Réemploi): substances, materials or products that are not waste are
used again for an identical use for which they were designed.
- Reutilisation
(Réutilisation): substances, materials or products that have become
waste are used again. Ademe clarifies that ‘réutilisation’ involves no
processes other than control, cleaning and repair. Still, disassembly
maybe involved as a widely used example of ‘réutilisation’ are wooden
pallets whose planks are being ‘réutilised’ as furniture.
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UK - Consultations on key terms determining the scope of the plastic packaging tax - 24 July 2021
Two draft regulations - one revising the concept of the [tax]
'chargeable packaging component’, the other clarifying which
manufacturing processes constitute a 'chargeable modification' - have
been released for 4 weeks consultations.
On 20-Jul-21, the government opened a technical consultation for 4
weeks (until 17-Aug-21) on two pieces of secondary legislation that
will support the administration of the new tax on 'chargeable plastic
packaging components' when it comes into effect in Apr-22:
- Plastic Packaging Tax (Descriptions of Products) Regulations 2021
- Plastic Packaging Tax (General [Substantial modification]) Regulations 2021
Context: The Jun-21 Finance Act stipulates a tax of GBP
200 (EUR 228) per tonne on each 'plastic packaging component'. Such a
component notably:-
- is 'finished', meaning it has 'undergone ... its last substantial modification';
- contains 'more plastic [by weight] than any other single substance', and
- contains less than 30% of plastics recycled 'by means of a chemical or manufacturing process'.
Entities are tax liable when marketing over 10 tonnes annually of
domestically produced and imported filled or unfilled plastic packaging,
including transport packaging. Exempt are filled or unfilled exported
packaging as well as imported transport packaging.
Revised definition of "plastic packaging component”
To ensure the tax is accurately applied, the draft Plastic Packaging Tax
(Descriptions of Products) Regulations 2021 propose to amend the
Finance Act by:-
- removing three product categories from the scope of ‘packaging components’:
- Filled packaging with a primary storage function: Such packaging
- is designed to be filled at the time of sale to consumers or
- has primarily a storage and only secondarily a packaging function, i.e. cases for glasses, power tool boxes.
- Packaging that is an integral part of the goods, necessary to contain or preserve the goods, i.e. printer cartridges or inhalers.
- Packaging designed for re-use in the presentation of goods i.e. sales display shelves and poster display stands.
- adding to the scope any product 'designed for
- single-use in a ‘packaging type’ function', even if they are capable of being used more than once, i.e. party cups.
- use by a user or consumer to contain, protect, handle, deliver or present a commodity or waste, i.e. bin bags
Clarification of 'substantial modification'
A chargeable plastic packaging component must be 'finished', i.e. have
undergone its last 'substantial modification'. The ‘Pre-draft’
Plastic Packaging Tax (General [Substantial modification]) Regulations
defines 'substantial modification' as “any process that changes the shape, thickness, weight or structure of a packaging component”, i.e. extrusion, molding, forming, laminating and printing. Examples of processes not considered to result in a 'chargeable modifications' are 'blowing or forming a preform, cutting, sealing and labelling'.
A technical note provides examples of its application:
- Business
A extrudes a sheet of plastic. Business B laminates this and forms it
into trays: Both businesses preform substantial modification but
the packaging component becomes chargeable only after business B forms
the trays.
- Business
A extrudes film, prints on it and then cuts it into labels. Business B
buys these labels and affixes them to bottles: The packaging component
is taxable after business A cuts the labels. Extrusion and printing are
substantial modification processes. Cutting is not considered to be a
substantial modification but as it is completed in this example by the
same person, the tax becomes chargeable when all the processes are
complete. Business B only carries out a process that does not
substantially modify the packaging.
Note: This draft is an extract of a much longer
upcoming statutory instrument (detailing when and by who the tax will be
payable) scheduled for publication in Autumn 2021. The extract is being
shared in advanced to give stakeholders the chance to provide feedback
at the earliest opportunity.
Background
The Plastic Packaging Tax was first announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget,
after a 2017 call for evidence into using the tax system to tackle
single-use plastics (SUPs) received strong support. The Government
launched a consultation in Feb-19 which sought stakeholder input on the
principles of the tax. In Nov-20, Draft Legislation and a policy paper
was published which set out the key details of the proposal. An updated
policy paper was published on 3-Mar-21, updating terms of reference in
the “summary of impacts” to reflect new information provided by the 2021
Budget, and containing amendments based on a Nov-20 technical
consultation; there were no significant changes to the key modalities of
the tax. In Mar-21, a draft Finance Bill provided the legislative
framework for the establishment of the plastic packaging tax (Part 2).
On 10-Jun-21, the Finance Act was published without change.
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- £10 million partnership to remove chewing gum litter from high streets; Major
chewing gum producers, brought together by the UK government, have
signed up to a new £10 million partnership to remove gum litter from
high streets, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has announced. The
scheme, including Mars Wrigley, GlaxoSmithKline and Perfetti Van Melle
and managed by independent charity Keep Britain Tidy, will see gum firms
invest up to £10 million over the next five years to help reduce gum
litter. Chewing gum litter costs millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money
every year, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) and the annual clean-up cost is estimated at £7 million.
Around 87% of England’s streets are stained with gum, according to
research by Keep Britain Tidy.
- England to consider banning single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups; The
UK government will consult on banning a range of single-use plastics on
England this Autumn, including plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups.
Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups are among a raft
of items that could be banned in England as part of a new public
consultation being launched in the Autumn.
- Morrisons reports early success for reusable glass milk bottles trail; The
bottles are delivered directly to Morrisons supermarkets by local dairy
farms and once returned are collected and sanitised and can be reused
for at least 10 year. The introduction of traditional glass milk bottles
is expected to remove 40,000 plastic bottles from these Morrisons
stores per year as well as reduce CO2 emissions – as delivery from local
suppliers means milk covers shorter distances.
- Britvic drinks brands move to 100% recycled plastic bottles; This
summer, Robinsons, Lipton Ice Tea and drench 500ml bottles are moving
to 100% recycled plastic (rPET). The 500ml on-the-go bottles are the
first to use recycled plastic from a new rPET manufacturing facility in
North Yorkshire. The facility, built by Esterform Packaging
Limited, following Britvic’s £5m investment support in 2019, is powered
by 100% renewable energy and provides Britvic with a secure supply of
quality food-grade rPET in the UK, the company says.
- Heinz baby food pouches set for kerbside recycling collections; The
move will roll out in 2022 across six of its fruit pouch varieties. Its
pouches are made from polypropylene and Heinz said that the format is
fully recyclable. It has been assessed by the On-Pack Recycling Label
(OPRL) and the packs will be disposed in regular recycling collections.
- Lidl to help shoppers go greener with Eco-Score labelling system; Lidl
will apply Eco-Score labelling to over 50 of its own-label products
including teas, coffees and hot chocolate and supporting this with wider
communication in its stores. Eco-Score uses open-source data to
independently grade products on their sustainability credentials and
assigns a colour code ranging from green ‘A’ (low impact) to red ‘E’
(high impact). The new labelling system will give shoppers a better
understanding of the environmental consequences, at a glance.
- Allotments used as waste transfer station shut down by Environment Agency; Environment
Agency officers have ordered the closure and clearance of an illegal
waste site operating out of allotments on Parnell Street in
Houghton-le-Spring. The Environment Agency was contacted by Sunderland
City Council following complaints from the surrounding community after
the owners of two allotments were found to be operating a rudimentary
waste transfer station, sorting waste illegally collected from local
house clearances.
- Surfers Against Sewage and the FPA debate litter on TV; Around
50,000 volunteers from Surfers Against Sewage have this year covered
some 350,000 miles helping to keep beaches clean. The campaigners say
65% of the litter can be traced back to just 12 companies.
- New recyclable PET pharmaceutical blister film launched; Global
manufacturer of high barrier protective packaging solutions, Klöckner
Pentaplast (kp), has launched kpNext, a recyclable PET blister
film. Klöckner Pentaplast says kpNext is the ‘only’ PET
recyclable blister that is completely compatible on pharmaceutical
manufacturing form, fill and seal equipment.
It says that pharmaceutical companies and converters can utilise kpNext
on their existing form, fill and seal lines with no loss of line speed
or a need to retool.
- £4 million funding to boost UK biomass production; Farming
seaweed and growing algae from the by-products of whisky manufacturing
are among 24 projects today (25 August) awarded £4 million UK government
funding to boost biomass production.
The 24 innovative projects, from start-ups and family-run businesses to
research institutes and universities, will receive funding of up to
£200,000 from the government’s Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme
to produce low-carbon energy using organic materials.
- Ellen MacArthur joins Scottish Environment Council; Dame
Ellen MacArthur will join a new group of environmental experts tasked
with advising the Scottish Government on environmental issues.
The Council will draw on global best practice to advise Scotland in
tackling the ‘climate emergency and ecological decline’, the Scottish
Government announced.
- Premier Foods strengthens sustainability team with new ESG hire; Former
CCEP head of sustainability Nick Brown has been appointed Director of
ESG at Premier Foods, one of Britain’s biggest ambient food
producers. Reporting into Hannah Collyer, Corporate Affairs and ESG
director, Brown will oversee the company’s growing environmental,
social and governance agenda and will be responsible for delivering
against the company’s ambitious sustainability targets. This includes
reaching 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic packaging by
2025.
- DS Smith exploring plans for seaweed paper and packaging; Packaging
company DS Smith is exploring how seaweed fibres can be used as a raw
material in paper and packaging products amid increasing demand for
sustainable goods from customers and consumers alike. In an industry
first, the move could see DS Smith use seaweed across its packaging
network as an alternative fibre source to wood. Following initial
testing, the company is also exploring the potential of seaweed to play a
significant role in the purge on plastics by acting as a barrier
coating to replace petroleum-based packaging used to protect many
foodstuffs.
- Household food waste rising as restrictions relaxed – WRAP; The
latest UK Food Trends Survey shows that self-reported food waste has
‘rebounded’ to pre-lockdown levels as restrictions lift, and more food
is potentially going to waste in UK homes as life returns to normal.
- AR Packaging launches recyclable mono-material polyethylene film; The
Ecoflex provides a sustainable alternative to PA-based materials,
whilst fully meeting OPRL guidelines, insists AR Packaging. Designed
primarily as a thermoforming base web, Ecoflex is formulated with
‘premium’ PE polymers, offering good puncture resistance, improved tear
resistance and it can be used for MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) or
vacuum.
- Dixons Carphone launches polystyrene take back recycling scheme; Dixons
Carphone has launched a recycling scheme enabling customers to return
expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging to stores for recycling. After a
successful trial in 14 stores over a six weeks period this summer,
Currys PC World is rolling out the customer EPS drop-off service to all
UK stores.
- RECOUP highlights need for plastics films and flexibles recycling solutions; The
challenge of recycling plastics films and flexibles has long been
debated, with collection, material sorting and end markets all needing
development, investment, and energy to transform the circular outcomes
for this plastic format, according to RECOUP.
- Plans submitted for plastic to hydrogen facility in Glasgow; Peel
NRE – part of Peel L&P – has submitted a planning application to
West Dunbartonshire Council for the UK’s second waste plastic to
hydrogen facility. Based at Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River
Clyde the £20m facility will take plastics which are destined for
landfill, incineration or export overseas, and use them to create a
local source of sustainable hydrogen.
- Veolia survey: 83% of businesses unaware of impending plastic tax; With
less than a year to go until the Plastic Packaging Tax is introduced in
the UK, a study by Veolia suggests that 83% of businesses asked were
not aware of the tax. Sitting alongside the Government’s Resources and
Waste Strategy, in 2018 the Treasury first announced the tax on plastics
and in April 2022 the Plastic Packaging Tax will be introduced in the
UK.
- UK government launches plan for a ‘world-leading hydrogen economy;’ Tens
of thousands of jobs, billions of pounds in investment and new export
opportunities will be unlocked through UK government plans to create a
‘thriving low carbon hydrogen sector’ in the UK over the next decade and
beyond, the Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has set out
this week.
- easyJet introduces new cabin crew and pilot uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles; easyJet
has announced that it is introducing a new uniform for cabin crew and
pilots, each made from around 45 recycled plastic bottles as part of its
commitment to for innovative change beyond carbon reduction.
Manufactured by Northern-Ireland based Tailored Image and created with
‘unique high-tech material’, the new uniform will be introduced into
cabin crew circulation this month. The roll-out across the airline is
estimated to prevent around half a million plastic bottles from ending
up as plastic waste each year.
- Climate change ‘widespread, rapid, and intensifying’ – IPCC; Scientists
are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across
the whole climate system, according to the latest Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, released today (9
August). Many of the changes observed in the climate are
‘unprecedented’ in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and
some of the changes already set in motion—such as continued sea level
rise—are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years, the report
finds. However, strong and sustained reductions in emissions of
carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate
change, it says.
- Co-op’s smallest store partners with entire village to change UK’s plastic recycling habits; The
Co-op’s smallest store has launched a scientific study in partnership
with all 1,000 residents of Pilton Village in Somerset. In a UK
first, the experiment in Pilton will set out to create the ‘ultimate
environment’ for optimum soft-plastic recycling, the retailer says,
engaging and educating the population of one village on what, how and
why to collect all their soft plastic. Supporting the move is a
unique “Recycling Behaviour Change Board”, including famous faces,
scientists, behaviour specialists and consumers designed to bring
together a ‘collective understanding on how to support positive
behaviour change with a mission to understand how it can help to
establish long-term plastic recycling habits in the heart of every
community’.
- BPF, PlasticsEurope and RECOUP launch online recycling education kit;
Tied to the national curriculum and featuring a simple but informative
‘sink-float’ experiment, the new resource aims to turn students into
‘recycling champions’. The resource can be found on the Times Educational Supplement (TES) website as well as on the BPF’s PolymerZone.co.uk
- Biffa fined £1.5 million for waste export breach; UK
waste management firm, Biffa, has been found guilty of exporting
household waste labelled as paper to Asia. The company was fined £1.5
million late last week (30 July) for the export breach, in what the
judge called “reckless, bordering on deliberate.” An investigation by
the Environment Agency (EA) prevented sixteen 25-tonne containers from
onward export between Southampton and India and Indonesia in 2018 and
2019. Biffa was also convicted of exporting a further 26 containers
that sailed before they could be stopped. Wood Green crown court
heard Biffa logged various items as paper at its depot in north London.
- Waste sector sends letter to Priti Patel over HGV driver shortages; A
letter has been sent to the Secretary of State, Priti Patel, regarding
the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver shortages facing the recycling and
waste management sector. The letter is co-signed by organisations and
companies from across the waste and resource sector, which expresses
their concerns about a ‘structural deficit’ of trained HGV drivers
emerging across the recycling and waste management sector.
- Loop and Lyreco trial re-usable soap packaging for office use; The
service will be trialled across a select group of businesses including
Murphy, and Legal & General. Customers will order through
Lyreco’s webshop, and the product delivered, along with a reusable tote
bag, in which the empty containers will go back in after use.
- Lidl announces removal of over one billion pieces of plastic;This
includes more than 24 million plastic trays and punnets being removed
from its fruit and vegetable ranges, and up to 25 million plastic lids
from dairy and yoghurt ranges. In addition, the discounter said it has
cut nearly 19 million plastic tags from its fruit and vegetable lines,
and 3.5 million pieces of plastic packaging on fresh flowers.
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