Posts by George Kiernan
Achieving a Circular Economy in Romania Through Plastics Recycling
Plastic Waste The problem of plastic waste continues to be a growing concern in Europe, where 29 million tonnes of it are produced every year. Only 32% of this material is recycled, with over 40% of it being incinerated to produce energy. Most shockingly, over 25%, or over 7 million tonnes, of this plastic waste…
Read MoreWaste Export Ban Backed In Vote By MEPs | Exporting Plastic Waste
Export Of Plastic Waste On Monday 16th January, Members of European Parliament (MEPs) voted to support a ban on the export of plastic waste from EU countries. The waste export ban passed the vote with an overwhelming majority of 594 votes in favour, with just 5 against and 43 abstentions. The text that currently forms…
Read MoreEuropean Commission Taking Legal Action Against Member States Over The Single-Use Plastics Directive
The European Commission announced it intends to take legal action against 11 EU Member States for failure to communicate their strategies for full implementation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive. The purpose of this Directive is to minimise the impact of single-use plastics on both human health and the environment. However, the following states have failed…
Read MoreWaste Sector to Play a Key Role in EU Transition to Energy Independence | Recyclable Energy
Energy Independence The European Waste Management Association (FEAD) has made a statement claiming the waste management sector has a key role to play in helping the EU to achieve energy independence from Russia. The FEAD have stated that the sector is not yet anywhere near its capacity for both producing and saving energy. The FEAD…
Read MorePlastic Pollution | We Have Doubled Worldwide Plastic Waste In Last Two Decades
Plastic In Landfill In February, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report entitled ‘Global Plastics Outlook’. This report found that out of all the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste produced worldwide every year, just 9% of this material is successfully recycled. The majority of these materials end up…
Read MoreCora Romania Launches Smart Recycling Station
Supermarket giant Cora has launched the pilot for their Green Group smart recycling station project in their Pantelimon store in Bucharest. This is a waste recovery solution they have undertaken in partnership with FEPRA, a packaging waste recovery company, and Envipco, who make bespoke Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) solutions, as well as the Romanian Ministry…
Read MoreCrisis Point: Plastic Pollution
Plastic Pollution Over the last several decades the rate at which we produce and consume plastic has increased dramatically, and so too has the problem of plastic pollution. Over 380 million tons of plastic is produced every year and reports suggest that in excess of 50% of it is for single-use products and purposes. Estimates…
Read MoreDeposit-Return Scheme For Plastic Bottles EU-Wide
On August 13th 2021, an initiative was registered with the European Commission calling for a deposit-return scheme to apply to plastic bottles across the EU. The initiative has one year in which to receive one million signatures of support from a minimum of seven member states to force the Commission to react. The organisers of…
Read MoreThe EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan
Circular Economy Action Plan The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan was first presented to the European Parliament in March 2020 and was voted through in February 2021 with 574 votes in favour and 22 against (99 abstentions). The action plan, the central pillar of the European Green Deal, will now be scrutinised by the European…
Read MoreRomania Under Scrutiny From European Commission
In recent years, the European Union has prioritised the need for recycling and a shift towards a circular economy. The EU has introduced many regulations and requirements around how waste should be managed, all of which are mandatory. Year after year, Romania has failed to meet a large number of these requirements, forcing the EU’s…
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