How is the European bioplastics industry seeking to gain more regulatory approval?
European Bioplastics (EUBP) recently announced the appointment of Maria Negut as the new Head of EU Affairs. Her job will be to convince EU decision-makers that bioplastics can play a vital role in helping them to achieve their climate goals. Ms. Negut explains the arguments EUBP will be using in its attempts to make this happen.
Council adopts 8th environmental action programme
The Council adopted its position on the 8th Environmental Action Programme (EAP). The 8th EAP will serve as a guide for environmental policymaking and implementation until 2030. The adoption of the Council’s position follows a provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament in December 2021 and is the final step of the adoption procedure.
The 8th EAP aims to accelerate the green transition in a just and inclusive way, with the 2050 long-term objective of ‘Living well, within the planetary boundaries’.
Creating a framework for the designers of the circular economy
When Joe Iles joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2011 as a recent graduate, the framework of the circular economy was still in its infancy. It had, of course, been established as a theoretical concept years before, but it was largely still that: a good idea. Now, this model has become much more central to the way that businesses and consumers operate, and the Foundation has been at the centre of that transition.
The organization defines the circular economy as a “systems solution framework” where materials are not discarded as waste as they are in a linear system like the one we have in place up today. A circular system requires eliminating waste upstream, circulating products and materials, and a focus on regenerating nature.