Author: sEaNERGIA Baltic Cluster
The EU has a particular interest in minimising resource use as it is heavily dependent on imported raw materials. As a response to this challenge, the European Commission adopted a new and ambitious Circular Economy Package in December 2015 establishing a long-term approach to promote waste prevention, increase recycling and reuse, and reduce landfill and incineration. It also sets out measures to help businesses, citizens and public authorities benefit from this transition. The Circular Economy Package includes an 80 per cent recycling target for packaging by 2030 and a ban on sending recyclable materials to landfills by 2025. The Package consists of an EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy that establishes a concrete and ambitious programme of action, with measures covering the whole cycle: from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials. The Package also includes revised legislative proposals on waste to stimulate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy, which will boost global competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs. The sector of construction and demolition materials was selected through the Public Consultation as one out of the priority sectors for the circular economy, the others are: plastics, food waste, critical raw materials, and biomass and bio-based products.[1]
To read more about Circular economy package visit: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-Briefing-573936-Circular-economy-package-FINAL.pdf
[1] Advancing the circular economy in Asia (Winter 2016/2017), the SWITCH-Asia Network Facility, p.6-8
