Official data will show you that the EU’s recycling rate is steadily increasing and has been over the past decade, although still below the 2020 target of 50% for municipal solid waste. Yet these numbers, whilst seemingly showcasing general progress, are hiding the true reality of Europe’s broken recycling system.
When looking at the recycling system holistically, we can see a complex picture of various different policies connecting with one another at different governance levels, resulting in poor performance and lack of confidence in the system. This ranges from ensuring recycled content put back onto the market is free from toxic chemicals, building effective collection systems that deliver maximum quality and quantity, differing definitions of what recycling of a material is, the export of so-called recyclable material and the large volume of recyclable material that continues to be incinerated or landfilled.
This webinar will go into greater depth to answer these key questions:
- How can policy-makers create an effective framework which makes packaging safely and effectively recyclable?
- What future role does recycling play in a world where we should be prioritising reusable materials?
- What is the role of local authorities in helping fix and improve our recycling system?
