News
Better access needed to millions of discarded re-usable goods says EU study
An assessment into the feasibility and socio-economic and environmental impacts of setting re-use targets for used electrical goods at EU level was published this week. The report rightly highlights the need for better access for re-use organisations to discarded...
EU Parliament vote on circular economy missed opportunity to support re-use and to create jobs
Reacting to today's vote in the European Parliament on a report on Resource efficiency: moving towards a circular economy, Michal Len, Director of RREUSE, a network of re-use organisations in Europe said: "Setting separate targets for re-use of goods in addition to...
Online retailers failing on take back scheme
The French consumer body CLCV says half of major online electrical retailers are failing to take back used goods for free when customers buy a similar product, as required under French law. The survey of 22 major suppliers found that almost a third don’t offer free...
Longer-lasting white goods cut environmental impacts by 30% – study
The benefits of making large household electrical goods last longer have been underlined by a new report carried out for the European Commission. The research carried out in preparation for an update to the European Commission’s Ecodesign rules looks at the resource...
Event – Circular Economy Package: What role for repairable and longer-lasting products? – 2 June
2 June 2015 - Brussels Science14 Atrium, 14 Rue de la Science, 1040 Brussels In the coming months, the European Commission will launch its new Circular Economy proposal. But what will it contain? Will there be a new focus on making products repairable and...
Event: Re-use targets – why they matter and how to make them work
20 April 2015 - European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels EESC Trèves Building, 7th floor, room TRE 7701, 74 rue de Trèves, 1040 Brussels (map) Current EU waste policy fails to adequately promote waste prevention and preparation for re-use activities....
Spain first EU country to mandate re-use of electrical goods
Spain is the first European country to require a proportion of some types of waste electrical and electronic products (WEEE) to be prepared for re-use rather than recycled or burned. The move last month to introduce a separate national quantitative target for re-use,...
New French legislation pushes for longer-lasting products
A new law in France has been passed that will oblige product retailers to inform the customer about how long spare parts will be available for the products they buy. Published in December 2014, the new law, could help to improve the chances that goods will be repaired...
Re-use more, throw less campaign saves 700 tonnes from the trash
During European Week for Waste Reduction (24-28 November), 79 re-use centres in 5 EU countries collected 709 tonnes of goods and re-used 79 tonnes. These are goods that would otherwise have been wasted. The campaign forms part of RREUSE's call for the EU to include...
RREUSE urges Juncker not to withdraw waste package
RREUSE and a coalition of non-governmental organisations have written to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker asking him to maintain the Circular Economy Package. The letter was sent in response to an internal memo that suggested the package,...
Re-use targets can create 300,000 new jobs in Europe
300,000 new jobs could be created in Europe if separate re-use targets are included in the Circular Economy Package according to a new report published today. The research for the European Environmental Bureau by Dr. Jane Beasley and Ray Georgeson sets out a number of...
10 key steps towards resource efficient Europe and how to set reuse targets
With the European Clean-Up Day just around the corner RREUSE together with a group of environmental NGOs have issued a 10 point joint statement calling for real ambition in the current revision of EU waste policy. With enormous amounts of re-usable products and...