Public institutions across Europe are being encouraged to embrace sustainable paper procurement, thanks to two newly published EU Ecolabel Practical Guides. The European Commission has released clear, user-friendly resources to help public buyers include environmental standards in tenders for graphic…
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is calling on manufacturers and businesses in the plastics sector to report any instances of false claims related to recycled content in plastic packaging. This move aims to protect legitimate players in the market and…
A new report from the Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX) initiative outlines five advanced recycling technology categories that promise to raise the quality of recyclates and make flexible packaging more recyclable than ever before. The research aims to support…
The once-promising expansion of rigid polyolefin recycling in Europe has reached an impasse, according to a recent joint analysis by Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) and ICIS. After years of steady growth, recycling capacities for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP)…
The UK Government, alongside Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and Scottish Ministers, has selected the UK Deposit Management Organization (UK DMO) to administer the forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Covering England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, this…
On 31 December 2024, the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport of the Dutch Government, enacted a ministerial regulation, modifying the Commodities Act Regulation on Packaging and Utensils (Warenwetregeling verpakkingen en gebruiksartikelen). This update implements the Benelux Committee of…
A few days ago, the Netherlands Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV) published the English translations of its 2025 Recycle Checks for various packaging materials, including rigid and flexible plastics, glass, metal, paper, cardboard, and beverage cartons. These tools help companies…
On April 1st, the new packaging waste tax came to effect in UK, as part of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (EPR), fundamentally changing how packaging waste is managed. The new rules require businesses to cover the full cost…
Plastic pellets — tiny raw materials used in plastic production — are among the main sources of microplastic pollution. The European Union has taken a major step to tackle this issue through a provisional agreement between the Council and the…
In a new publication by Zero Waste Europe, recent research from the ToxicoWatch Foundation has linked waste incinerators in Europe to serious environmental contamination from PFAS and other toxins in parts of Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Toxic Chemicals…
The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has taken legal action against Iceland by referring a long-standing case to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Court. The issue at hand is Iceland’s continued failure to align with European Economic Area (EEA) regulations…
The preparation of Portugal’s national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for single-use beverage containers in 2026 was announced in a recent publication by Sensoneo. This initiative aims to enhance recycling efforts, minimize waste, and serve as a model for other Southern…