Environmental and Circular Policies
Waste prevention and management
We mainly participate in the development of waste prevention and management policies that prioritise reduction and re-use over any other form of waste treatment.
In July 2018, the Waste Framework Directive was updated, including many progressive policies to foster the development of re-use social enterprises. We closely monitor its implementation in various EU Member States (in France for example).
The Circular Economy Action Plan published in March 2021 also contains promises of actions to move up the waste hierarchy.
What are we working on?
- Pushing for EU-wide targets on re-use and preparing for re-use that are separate from recycling targets, and give these activities priority over any other form of waste treatment
- Facilitating access to the waste stream (e.g. for WEEE) for social enterprises active in preparing for re-use
- Participating in the development of ambitious rules and targets applied to Extended Producer Responsibility schemes
- Influencing the development of harmonised end-of-waste rules for the preparing for re-use sector
- Ensuring that the harmonisation of separate waste collection models does not impact the re-use sector
Extended Producer Responsibility
The Waste Framework Directive was also updated to include many progressive policies to foster the development of re-use social enterprises, including encouragement for Member States to make them participate in the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). We are involved in the development of EPR schemes that thoroughly follow the waste hierarchy, allowing social enterprises to have a prominent role in the prevention, collection and preparing for re-use of waste.
What are we working on?
- Reporting on the impact of EPR on re-use social enterprises
- Monitoring implementation of Waste Framework Directives’ minimum EPR requirements
- Anticipating the potential development of EU-wide EPR for textiles through EU Strategy on Sustainable Textiles
Textiles
- Advocating for more social and circular textiles
- Participating in the development of the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles
- Monitoring potential development of mandatory EPR for textiles at EU level
- Pushing for durability/repairability/
reusability ecodesign requirements for textiles - Ensure social enterprises have priority access to post-consumer textiles through ambitious waste prevention/management policies
Ecodesign
In March 2021, new Ecodesign rules eventually entered into force, making certain types of products such as washing machines, dishwashers and fridges more repairable, notably for professional repairers. Together with our partners from the Right to Repair Coalition, we push for even more ambitious requirements ensuring that all re-use operators, as well as civil society initiatives (repair cafés) and consumers, are able to benefit from these repairability requirements. Our objective is to widen the scope of ecodesign requirements by including products that are not energy-related such as textiles and furniture.
What are we working on?
- Participating in the elaboration of the Sustainable Product Initiative
- Advocating for more durable and repairable products
- Making the definition of “professional repairers” more inclusive
- Reducing the price of spare parts and repair operations
- Protecting social enterprises against the development of repair monopolies by original manufacturers
Electronics
The management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is covered at EU level by the WEEE Directive (2012), containing vague provisions on prioritising preparation for re-use over recycling. In March 2021, the update of the Ecodesign minimum requirements for certain types of products including fridges, washing machines and dishwashers entered into force, requiring manufacturers wishing to sell these products on the EU market to follow certain repairability requirements.
Stemming from the Circular Economy Action Plan, a Circular Electronics Initiative is also under development. We are working on making these products more durable and repairable as well as collection models for WEEE that are more re-use friendly.
What we are working on?
- The development of Ecodesign minimum requirements for electronics products to facilitate maintenance, repair and access to information
- The potential update of the WEEE directive to develop WEEE minimum treatment requirements for collection, storing, recycling and preparing for re-use
- The development of alternative collection models for electronics that safeguard reusability