The take, make, use, and dispose economy is fuelling the climate emergency. Re-use and preparation for re-use contribute to climate change mitigation by preventing resource depletion, diverting products and materials from landfills and incineration (therefore preventing associated emissions), and reducing energy demand.
RREUSE calls for a more comprehensive monitoring framework for the circular economy (MFCE). While the environmental, economic and social benefits of re-use are well documented, re-use is inexplicably not covered in the MFCE adopted in 2018. Hence, the revision of the MFCE is a much-needed opportunity to include re-use and preparation for re-use indicators, in line with the waste hierarchy and following the Commission Implementing Decision laying down a common methodology and a format for reporting on re-use.
On May 23, the European Commission released the 2022 Spring Package. It is a crucial stage within the European Semester process, which aims to provide Member States with recommendations and guidance in driving national reforms to achieve common EU objectives, among which, an inclusive green transition.
RREUSE welcomes the revision of the Ecodesign Directive through the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) as a major opportunity to enhance product sustainability and to pave the way for a transition towards sustainability within European markets.
Aiming at accelerating the green and digital transitions of the EU industry, the European Commission has prepared a Staff Working Document to outline possible scenarios for a transition pathway for a more resilient, sustainable, and digital textiles ecosystem. RREUSE reflected on the issues and possible output scenarios for 2030 that were presented in the Staff Working Document, and put together the response below.