23January/February 2016
The European Commission describes its new Circular
Economy package as an ‘ambi-
tious’ but ‘realistic’ blueprint to
assist European businesses and
consumers in making the transi-
tion to a stronger and more circular
economy where resources are used in a
more sustainable way, not least through
greater recycling and reuse. According
to Commission vice president Frans
Timmermans, this set of measures
– to be backed by multi-billion Euro
support – will provide ‘a clear path-
way’ to reaching new targets.
For recyclers, the package’s key
contents include: incentives for
improved product design to facili-
tate repair, upgrading, remanufac-
turing or recycling; an increase in
the preparing for reuse and recycling target for
municipal waste to 65% by 2030; simplifica-
tion and harmonisation of definitions and recy-
cling rate calculation methods; and actions to
encourage recovery of critical raw materials.
But do recyclers regard the package launched
on December 2 last year as an early Christmas
present or with more qualified enthusiasm?
‘Important beyond Europe’
The European Recycling Industries’
Confederation (EuRIC) has been
devoting a substantial amount of its
time of late to the EC Circular Econ-
omy package because, as its secretary
general Emmanuel Katrakis explains,
it will ‘inevitably’ shape EU policy
impacting recyclers for the next four
years, and so it is ‘absolutely key to get
it right’. >
The European Commission’s Circular Economy package:
Does it deliver for recyclers?
