Environmental

The European Commission has just published a new Circular Economy Action Plan​, which builds on the European Green Deal that was published in December 2019. The Action Plan aims to drive environmental sustainability into the mainstream​, separating economic growth from resource consumption.​​Some of the key topics covered in the Action Plan include:​​​​E...

​With the rapid spread of COVID-19 comes a surge of uncertainty, a shift in legislative focus and a wave of temporary policies to maintain public health and minimise exposure to the virus.​​The general public is being directed to wash our hands more, avoid touching our faces and cough into elbows. People around the world are stockpiling plastic-wrapped to...

​The UK has launched a consultation on the finer details of its Plastic Packaging Tax, confirmed as going ahead in the Chancellor's Budget 2020 speech last week.​Some elements of the tax have been confirmed, and are not subject to consultation:The tax will be implemented from April 2022;It will be charged at a rate of £200 per tonne of plastic packaging m...

​Last week, the first regional Plastics Pact was launched in Europe. Governments and businesses from across the European Economic Area (EEA) have joined together to commit to reducing plastic waste and move towards creating a circular economy for plastics. Signatories of the European Plastics Pact commit to a number of shared goals, including:Designing a...

​​Eco-modulation is a concept which is being talked about (and implemented) increasingly frequently by governments and stewardship/EPR schemes. But what is it? At the most basic level, eco-modulation is the concept of penalising the use of materials that are less environmentally friendly, and rewarding the use of those which are better - for example, thr...

​Plastic is everywhere - in packaging, children's toys, furniture, and the houses we live in. The first fully synthetic plastic (Bakelite) was invented in 1907, and since then it has become a fundamental part of daily life in the Western world. Governments around the world are introducing legislation limiting or penalising its use (like ​Singapore, Chin...

Following an amendment to Turkey's Environmental Act (link in Turkish) that came into force on January 1, 2020, certain products are now subject to a Recycling Contribution Fee (GEKAP).The GEKAP has been introduced to help reduce waste, by obliging producers to pay a fee proportionate to the weight of the products they place on the market. Affected produ...

​France has just introduced extensive new legislation ​(link in French) on waste management and the circular economy (the concept of ​​​designing the economy to minimise waste and pollution and to keep resources in circulation). Among many other measures, the new legislation introduces additional EPR schemes for products including waste from food vendors,...

​China has recently published details of its plans to significantly reduce plastic pollution within five years. ​ The new legislation will introduce bans on ultra-thin plastic bags and the production and sale of disposable PS foam tableware. Other products that will be affected include plastic straws, disposable...

​The UK Government is trying again to get its Environment Bill passed into UK law.The Bill introduces a wide range of measures, including the establishment of a new Office for Environmental Protection, changes to the current system of producer responsibility and the ability to impose charges for single use plastic items (e.g. disposable cups) in addition ...

​Governments around the world are passing legislation restricting or banning the use of certain types or forms of plastic. Many more countries are discussing doing so, and there are several voluntary initiatives worldwide to supplement existing legislation. Many of the bans and initiatives which have been in place for a while have resulted in significan...

​The Republic of Korea has published an amendment ​to its Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling Resources (link in Korean), in reaction to China's ban on imports of foreign waste which has resulted in local waste collection companies refusing to collect certain types of refuse. As a result of the amendment, companies operating in Korea must underta...

​Did you know that new regulations on​ WEEE and packaging will come into effect in Singapore from 2020? The Resource Sustainability Act 2019 will affect companies operating in Singapore who produce or import electronic and electrical equipment (including batteries), as well as those who supply goods in packaging.​Obligated companies will need to register...

​On 20 June, the Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market surveillance and compliance of products, was published. The new legislation prohibits products from being placed on the market in the EU unless the producer has an economic operator established in the EU. The aim of the Regulation is to prevent free riders f...

​On 12th July, Turkey published the Regulation on Zero Waste (the ‘Regulation') in the Official Gazette, number 30829. This introduces the procedures and principles of the zero waste management system to be implemented in enterprises and industrial plants, such as airports, educational and healthcare institutions, manufacturing facilities and many more. T...

The On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL)​ has launched a review of its labelling rules which will, for the first time, take into account the recycling infrastructure, in addition to developments in collections services. ​The new rules will take into account the sorting processes at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) and the likelihood of that material being r...