On March 26th, 2024, the European Union, in its effort to empower consumers for a greener transition, implemented Directive (EU) 2024/825, also known as the Empowering Consumers Directive (ECD). This directive aims at fostering sustainable consumption patterns and tackles various misleading commercial practices, like greenwashing, that hinder consumers’ ability to make informed choices regarding the…
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been extensively utilized across various industrial and consumer sectors since the 1950s, due to their useful properties, including low surface energy and durable water- and oil-repellency, and finding application in a number of products, ranging from food packaging to firefighting foams. By taking into account a recent study, published…
Reverse vending pioneer, TOMRA Collection, has recently introduced its new Basic Line of Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), tailored for retailers that enter Deposit Return Systems (DRSs). This initiative aims to simplify the collection of empty beverage containers for recycling, offering an easy and affordable solution to consumers and retailers, while conserving space and resources. Basic…
Α few weeks ago, European Union took a significant step towards addressing the ongoing challenge of packaging waste with the provisional political agreement reached between the Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives on a proposal for the regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR). The agreement was made in EU’s efforts to reduce the…
In an effort to reduce plastic waste pollution, Aldi UK has recently unveiled a traceability scheme, aimed at managing the 300 tonnes of post-consumer flexible plastic packaging collecting annually. This initiative marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing commitment to the environment and underlines the organization’s determination to address the escalating issue of plastic…
Τον Μάιο του 2023 εκδόθηκε ο νέος κανονισμός 2023/1115, για τη διαθεσιμότητα στην αγορά της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και την εξαγωγή από την Ένωση ορισμένων βασικών και παράγωγων προϊόντων, που συνδέονται με την αποψίλωση και την υποβάθμιση των δασών, από το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο. Με τον κανονισμό να τίθεται σε ισχύ τον Ιούνιο του 2024, αναφέρουμε λεπτομέρειες…
In alignment with global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability, Germany has recently joined the countries implementing a plastic tax. Following the footsteps of Spain and UK, Germany introduced its plastic tax through the “Single-Use Plastic Fund Act” of May 11, 2023, (EWKFondsG in German) for short. Having taken effect on January…
Ireland has recently introduced its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), as part of its commitment to enhance the recycling efforts of the country. A survey conducted by Every Can Counts sheds light on consumer perceptions of the system and the challenges faced with this new initiative. While exploring the statistics of this survey, we hereby compare…
The latest figures of PRE’s report reveal that Europe’s plastics recycling capacity reached 12.5 million tonnes in 2022, marking a significant milestone in EU’s commitment to sustainability. However, the recycling growth rate of plastics took a relative dive, dropping year-on-year due to market disruptions and raising concerns about the future of the plastics recycling industry.…
In recent years, the issue of plastic waste exports has gained increasing attention, creating the demand for a re-evaluation of policies surrounding the export of plastic waste to non-Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (non-OECD) countries. Plastic recycling charity RECOUP has presented compelling arguments against a sudden ban on such exports, highlighting the need for…
Hubbub has recently released a comprehensive report that details the outcomes and insights gained from six reuse system projects, funded by the Bring It Back Fund. These projects explored diverse approaches, from reuse tracking software to loyalty programs and doorstep packaging collection, and Hubbub reveals the key ingredients of their successful approaches. The Bring…
We are excited to announce the deployment of a new Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) instrument from Agilent Technologies, which will actively contribute our team’s endeavor to offer high-quality analysis services to all our customers. ICP instruments allow the reliable and accurate measurement of metals in liquid or solid products (such…